Sometimes inherited genes can cause little differences, like hair color. Prince Harry has red hair, which only occurs in 1-2% of the population. This is an example of a genetic mutation that is not considered to be a medical issue. Other times, a small change in your genes can have great effects on your health.

Hemophilia

A condition like haemophilia is a genetic mutation that affects blood clotting. It can lead to many different medical issues such as bleeding longer after an injury, bruising easily, or to an increased risk of bleeding in the brain.

Sickle-Cell Anemia

Another inherited disease is sickle-cell disease. It is often diagnosed around five to six months of age. It causes a change to the haemoglobin which is found in our red blood cells and is responsible for carrying oxygen to all parts of our body. It can be a painful disease which often results in a shorter lifespan.

Asthma

Asthma is a lung condition that causes difficulty with breathing because of how it affects the bronchial tubes, the pathway to the lungs. It is one of the diseases which experts think might be a combination of environmental factors and genetics. No one knows exactly why some people develop asthma, but often children and teens who have asthma, have a parent or relative who also suffered from asthma as a child. We will also look at the connection to secondhand smoke and asthma in children when we examine smoking in Activity 6 of this unit.

Body shape and obesity

The exact influence of genes on your body size is not predetermined by your parents’ genetics. They do, however, play a slight role. If your parents are obese, categorized as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, you run a higher risk of developing obesity, meaning there is a genetic predisposition toward being overweight, making weight management a bit more complicated for some.