Fava Bean Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention | Comprehensive Guide by Dr. Pan Shunbang

2023-06-19 04:00:36

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Writer: Xu Yun Photography: Zhong Hanping

Have you ever heard of “Fava Bean Syndrome”? This disease, named following the food, is said to have originated from young children in Hakka villages. After eating boiled broad beans, they developed symptoms such as fever, pale complexion, bloody urine, and jaundice, and died one following another a few days later. Lack of glucose hexaphosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD for short), which is a normal enzyme that protects red blood cells. Because broad beans contain more “oxidative substances”, red blood cells in the body rupture following eating, causing acute hemolytic anemia in patients.
G6PD deficiency is a common genetic disease in Hong Kong. According to the government’s newborn baby screening program, 4 to 5 out of 100 newborn boys and 3 to 5 out of every 1,000 newborn girls suffer from this disease Suffering from this disease; Pan Shunbang, a family medicine specialist, explained the impact of G6PD deficiency on life and health.

Guest host: Chen Shenzhi

How do I know if I have “Fava Bean Syndrome”?

Since 1984, the Hong Kong government has provided umbilical cord blood screening for every newborn baby to find out whether they have G6PD enzyme deficiency, which is what we usually call “faba bean disease”. Simply put, people born in Hong Kong following 1984 , will know whether they have this disease. If people born before 1984 want to know whether they have this genetic disease, they can take a blood test to know the content of G6PD enzyme in the blood.

Chen Shenzhi was born before 1984. Dr. Pan said that through a blood test, you can know whether you have “faba bean disease”.

What would be the problem if there is “Fava Bean Syndrome”?

G6PD enzyme can protect red blood cells from being destroyed. If people lack this enzyme in their bodies, they will not have any symptoms on the surface. However, once they are seriously infected, take certain types of Chinese and Western medicines, and eat certain foods such as broad beans, red blood cells will be destroyed. Hemolysis may occur, including pale complexion, unusual tiredness, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat.
If the elderly don’t know whether they have “faba bean disease” or not, and they can’t see it on the surface, once they suffer from other diseases and accidentally take drugs that affect “faba bean disease”, hemolysis may become critical. Therefore, when conducting a physical examination, it should be detected whether there is this genetic disease.

Can this disease not eat broad beans?

This genetic disease cannot eat broad beans, or broad bean products, such as mixed beans with broad beans, vermicelli made from broad beans, etc., and avoid contact with smelly pills or insect-proof tablets to avoid damage to red blood cells, hemolysis and anemia. Condition.

Will broad bean disease get better because of strong resistance?

Favism is a kind of genetic disease, and has nothing to do with one’s own resistance, so it will not disappear because of a strong body.

Are men more likely to have this genetic disease than women?

Every cell in the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes. The 23rd pair is called “sex chromosome”. Males have “X” and “Y” chromosomes, and females have “X” and “X” chromosomes. The G6PD gene is hidden on the chromosome.
Males have only one “X” chromosome, and the other is a “Y” chromosome. If the “X” chromosome has a problem with the production of G6PD, the G6PD content in the blood is not enough, which is commonly known as “fabi bean syndrome”. On the contrary, women have two “X” chromosomes. “Even if there is genetic inheritance, if one of the chromosomes fails, the other will still produce enough G6PD to make up for the deficiency, so females with genetic inheritance are only carriers and will not have serious symptoms.

The substances in camphor and stinky pills will destroy the red blood cells of people with “bean syndrome”

Will it be passed on to the next generation?

Favism is a genetic disease. If a woman has this gene, one of the two “X” chromosomes has a problem, and she marries a normal man, the chance of having a son is half. If she inherits G6PD deficiency, her daughter also has a half chance. , becoming a carrier of G6PD deficiency.

Can I not take certain antipyretics or antibiotics if I have favism?

General antipyretics, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen for high fever, these are no problem, high-dose aspirin is not suitable, antibiotics can be taken with penicillin, some antibiotics for urethritis, diabetes, malaria, etc. Of course, some traditional Chinese medicines, such as honeysuckle, bezoar, and pearl powder, cannot be taken. Therefore, if you have G6PD deficiency, you should inform the doctor in advance when you see a doctor, and you should not buy medicines for daily use. Food.

Doctor profile

Pan Shunbang-Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Hong Kong, Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Family Medicine, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Master of Family Medicine at Monash University, Australia, Diploma in Pediatrics from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ireland, Diploma in Internal Medicine from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Fellow of the Academy of Medicine (Family Medicine).

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