Alpha Thalassemia Center - Irvington, NJIrvington 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 Irvington * University Hospital Hematology Oncology  Gunwant K Guron MD  Ellioth H Fishkin MD  Clifton Medical Center  Holy Name Hospital Regional Cancer Center  RWJUMG Hematology  RWJUMG Hematology  Somerset Hemtology Oncology Associates  Cooper Cancer Institute Hematology & Oncology  Cooper Cancer Institute Hematology & Oncology Irvington, New JerseyUpcoming Local Events2012-05-20
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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 ThalassemiaIntroduction to ArrhythmiaAn irregular heartbeat is an arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia). Heart rates can also be irregular. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rates don't necessarily occur together. Arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart rate, or with heart rates that are slow (called bradyarrhythmias -- less than 50 beats per minute). Arrhythmias can also occur with rapid heart rates (called tachyarrhythmias -- faster than 100 beats per minute). In the United States, more than 850,000 people are hospitalized for an arrhythmia each year. What causes an arrhythmia?Arrhythmias may be caused by many different factors, including:
Other Related Alpha Thalassemia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Irvington
Nearby Irvington Hospitals *Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Children's Hospital of New Jersey East Orange Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System East Orange General Hospital The University Hospital St James Hospital of Newark Saint Barnabas Medical Center Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation West Orange Trinitas Hospital Williamson Campus Clara Maass Medical Center West Hudson  Clara Maass Medical Center  Trinitas Hospital New Point Campus  Mountainside Hospital  Overlook Hospital  Summit Oaks Hospital  Bayonne Medical Center  Children's Specialized Hospital Mountainside  Kindred Hospital New Jersey Rahway  Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway  Essex County Hospital Center  Richmond University Medical Center  Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center  Christ Hospital  Jersey City Medical Center  Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital  Hoboken University Medical Center  Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County  Bayley Seton Campus  Woodbridge Development Center  St Mary's Hospital  New York Downtown Hospital  Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center  St Vincent's Hospital & Medical Center of New York  Lutheran Medical Center  Long Island College Hospital  St Joseph's Children's Hospital  St Joseph's Regional Medical Center  Staten Island University Hospital North Site  Beth Israel Medical Center Petrie Division  Morristown Memorial Hospital  New York Eye & Ear Infirmary  NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases  South Beach Psychiatric Center  Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute  JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute  JFK Medical Center  Palisades Medical Center  St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center  VA New York Harbor Healthcare System New York Campus  Bellevue Hospital Center  The Brooklyn Hospital Center  NYU Langone Medical Center  Maimonides Medical Center  Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine  Brooklyn Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System  Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Saddle Brook  New York Methodist Hospital  Hackensack University Medical Center  Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hospital  Select Specialty Hospital Northeast New Jersey  Care One at Raritan Bay  Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility  Lenox Hill Hospital  The Rockefeller University Hospital  Staten Island University Hospital South Site  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center  New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Campus  Hospital for Special Surgery  Gracie Square Hospital  Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital  Kindred Hospital New Jersey Wayne  Raritan Bay Medical Center Perth Amboy Division  St Joseph's Wayne Hospital  St Lukes Hospital  Coler Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility 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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Anemia
- Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased. Symptoms of anemia may include fatigue, malaise, hair loss, palpitations, and more. Treatment for anemia includes treating the underlying cause for the condition. Iron supplements, vitamin B12 injections, and certain medications may also be necessary.
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Gallstones
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Arrhythmia
- An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. With an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be irregular or too slow (bradycardia), to rapid (tachycardia), or too early. When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a prmature contraction.
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Heart Attack
- Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical instability of the heart.
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Enlarged Spleen (Splenomegaly)
- The spleen enlarges if it is asked to do excessive work in filtering or manufacturing blood cells, if there is abnormal blood flow to it, or if it is invaded with abnormal cells or deposits. Symptoms of an enlarged spleen may include weakness and fatigue, easy bleeding, and poor white blood cell function. Treatment of an enlarged spleen is focused toward the cause of the splenomegaly. Surgery may be required to remove the spleen.
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Jaundice
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Malaria
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Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Heart Rhythm Disorders)
- Heart rhythm disorders vary from minor palpitations, premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), sinus tachycardia, and sinus brachycardia, to abnormal heart rhythms such as tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular flutter, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolf-White-Parkinson syndrome, brachycardia, or heart blocks. Treatment is dependant upon the type of heart rhythm disorder.
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Heart Disease
- Heart disease (coronary artery disease) is caused by a buildup of cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries. Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, heredity, diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and obesity. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. There are a variety of tests used to diagnose coronary artery disease. Treatment includes life-style changes, medications, procedures, or surgery.
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Sickle Cell Disease (Sickle Cell Anemia)
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Puberty
- The time when boys and girls begin the process of sexual maturation is called puberty. During this time, both sexes undergo a series of biological changes that include a rapid increase in height, bone growth, weight increase, the growth of pubic hair, breast development and the onset of menstruation in girls, and testicle, penis, and muscle enlargement in boys.
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Beta Thalassemia
- Beta Thalassemia is the most familiar type of thalassemia. Thalassemia is not just one disease but rather a complex series of genetic (inherited) disorders all of which involve underproduction of hemoglobin.
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G6PD Deficiency
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Heart Failure
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Pregnancy Planning
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Genetic Counseling
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