Alpha Thalassemia Center - Chicopee, MAChicopee Hematologist Doctors for Alpha ThalassemiaType of Physician: Hematologist What is a Hematologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine or Pathology; Hematologists treat diseases of the blood, spleen, and lymph glands such as anemia, clotting disorders, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, leukemia, and lymphoma. They perform special types of transfusions and biopsy the bone marrow for analysis. Specialty: Hematology Common Name: Blood Doctor Hematologist Doctors in Chicopee * Arthur Church MD  Berkshire Medical Center Pathology  Berkshire Medical Center Pathology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Infectious Disease  Brigham & Women's Hospital Hematology  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Children's Hospital Boston Laboratory Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Hematologic & Malignant Bone Marrow Transplant  Mattapan Obstetrics & Pediatrics  MGH Cancer Center Chairman Chicopee, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-06-10
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Alpha and Beta ThalassemiaRead the Alpha and Beta Thalassemia article » What are thalassemias?Thalassemias (thal-a-SE-me-ahs) are inherited blood disorders. "Inherited" means they're passed on from parents to children through genes. Thalassemias cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin) than normal. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. It also carries carbon dioxide (a waste gas) from the body to the lungs, where it's exhaled. People who have thalassemias can have mild or severe anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh). This condition is caused by a lower than normal number of red blood cells or not enough hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
What Causes Thalassemias?Your body makes three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets (PLATE-lets). Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body. Hemoglobin also carries carbon dioxide (a waste gas) from your body to your lungs to be exhaled. Hemoglobin has two kinds of protein chains: alpha globin and beta globin. If your body doesn't make enough of these protein chains, red blood cells don't form properly and can't carry enough oxygen. Your body won't work well if your red blood cells don't make enough healthy hemoglobin. Genes control how the body makes hemoglobin protein chains. When these genes are missing or altered, thalassemias occur. Thalassemias are inherited disorders. That is, they're passed on from parents to their children through genes. People who get abnormal hemoglobin genes from one parent but normal genes from the other are called carriers. Carriers often have no signs of illness other than mild anemia. However, they can pass the abnormal genes on to their children. People with moderate to severe forms of thalassemia have inherited abnormal genes from... Recommended Reading Related to Alpha ThalassemiaHeart attack facts
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Nearby Chicopee Hospitals *HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts Kindred Hospital Park View Shriners Hospital for Children Mercy Medical Center Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital Baystate Medical Center Providence Hospital Holyoke Medical Center Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center Western Massachusetts Hospital  Cooley Dickinson Hospital  Noble Hospital  Baystate Mary Lane Hospital  Johnson Memorial Hospital  Northampton VA Medical Center  Rockville General Hospital  Harrington Memorial Hospital  Manchester Memorial Hospital  Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital  St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus  The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare  St Francis Hospital & Medical Center  Franklin Medical Center  Connecticut Children's Medical Center  Hartford Hospital  Institute of Living Hartford Hospital  Athol Memorial Hospital  Natchaug Hospital  University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey  Cedarcrest Hospital  VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus  Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care  Windham Community Memorial Hospital  Hubbard Regional Hospital  Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital  Day Kimball Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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