KODA's death: What you should know about G6PD deficiency

While Ghana mourns the loss of renowned gospel musician KODA, details about the condition that reportedly led to his death have surfaced.

KODA was battling with a condition called G6PD deficiency. While it has not been established that it was the cause of his death, the musician in a video that has gone viral said he took the wrong medication for eight months.

He spoke about how he had been given the wrong medication at an unnamed Takoradi-based hospital during one episode that he suffered, stressing how that incident changed him forever in terms of demanding answers on his health.

He said after he had been treated over two days and released back in 2016 thereabout, "I started developing some funny, funny symptoms here and there over time and I noticed something was not right.

"So, I remember one day being bold enough to google the medication I was given and I noticed that one major element that I was asked to take was a Sulphur-based medication and immediately I told myself that I had a medical condition called G6PD.

"I know for sure that Sulphur is one of the things that I am not supposed to take. Why the people, they want kill me or what? Because I had taken the medication for over 6 close to 8 months," he added.

So what is G6PD? Here is all you need to know about it.

What is it?

As captured by hopkinsmedicine.org, G6PD deficiency is a genetic condition where the body lacks enough of an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). This enzyme is important as it helps red blood cells function properly.

A lack of it could cause ‘Hemolytic Anemia’ a condition where red blood cells break down faster than they normally would, sometimes in reaction to certain medications, infections and other stresses.

This leads to a deficiency of red blood cells in the body (Anemia).

Causes and persons at risk

Unfortunately, G6PD deficiency is an inheritable condition. The gene is located on the X chromosome and is passed from one generation to another.

It is also more common in males and in people of African, Asian and Mediterranean descent, healthdirect.gov says.

Symptoms

In many cases, G6PD deficiency doesn't cause problems.

According to healthline.com, problems tend to occur when triggers like infections, stress, certain foods and some medications can cause harm to the blood cells, leading to hemolytic anaemia.

This in turn produces symptoms such as fever, yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mouth (jaundice), weakness and extreme tiredness, dark urine, and pain in the abdomen or back.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on symptoms, age, general health and the severity of the condition.

According to healthline.com, most people get better in a few days without treatment, but it's important to avoid triggers to prevent more episodes.

The condition is diagnosed with a blood test and can't be cured, but avoiding triggers and getting treatment for infections can help manage it.

It's also important for people with G6PD deficiency to tell their healthcare providers about their condition before taking any new medicine.

ID/BB

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