blood disorders
Thalassemias
Diagnosis of Thalassemias
Blood tests Hemoglobin electrophoresis Prenatal testing Blood tests are done for diagnosis of thalassemia. Doctors measure blood counts and examine a sample of blood under a microscope. Characteristic abnormalities of the red blood cells can be seen. Diagnosis , another blood test, is also done. In electrophoresis, an electrical current is used to separate the different types of hemoglobin and thus detect abnormal hemoglobin. Testing a drop of blood by electrophoresis is helpful but may be inconclusive, especially for alpha-thalassemia. Therefore, the diagnosis is usually based on special hemoglobin tests and determination of hereditary patterns. Genetic testing can be done to detect thalassemias before birth. 