What is a blood disorder?

What are blood disorders?

Your blood is made up of different cell types, including:

• red blood cells for carrying oxygen
• white blood cells that fight infections
• platelets to help blood clot.

They all originally come from stem cells, which have the potential to develop into any type of blood cell as they divide and mature.

If you have a blood disorder, it’s likely that there is a problem with a stage in this process. This means that some of the cells in your blood cannot properly perform the job they are designed to do.

Many of these problems occur because of a faulty gene that was inherited at birth. However, others, such as myelodysplastic syndromes and autoimmune diseases, are not inherited and can occur without an obvious reason.

There are lots of different blood disorders and they are treated in different ways depending on their type and severity. A few of them can develop into blood cancers over time. Only some people with blood disorders will need a stem cell transplant – usually only if other treatments have been unsuccessful.

Different types of blood disorder

Some of the more common blood disorders that might need a stem cell transplant are listed below. Each section provides additional information and links to organisations that offer advice and support.

• Aplastic anaemia
• Sickle cell disease (SCD)
• Autoimmune diseases
• Thalassaemia
• Other inherited conditions

The What are my treatment options? section looks at other possible ways that your medical team may decide to treat your blood disorder – either before or instead of a stem cell transplant.