Sickle Cell Disease is a blood disorder that affects the red blood cells. The red blood cells are normally round, but in people with Sickle Cell Disease, they are shaped like crescent moons. This can cause problems with blood flow and can lead to pain, anemia, and other complications. There is no cure for Sickle Cell Disease, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and prevent some of the complications.
There is no cure for sickle cell, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications. People with sickle cell should see a doctor regularly to check for problems and get treatment early if they occur. There are also clinical trials testing new treatments for sickle cell.
Tissue that does not receivesufficient blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is why sickle cell disease causes discomfort. There is no cure for sickle cell disease yet. Red blood cells transport oxygen from the air we breathe into our lungs throughout the body via hemoglobin (hemoglobin A is the major component of normal red blood cells). Hemoglobin A is present in standard red blood cells.
In sickle cell disease, the red blood cells contain mostly hemoglobin S. Hemoglobin S is different from hemoglobin A because it has a different shape. Hemoglobin A is smooth and round like a doughnut without a hole in the center. Hemoglobin S is shaped like a sickle, which is C-shaped. When hemoglobin S gets low on oxygen, it changes shape and becomes stiff. These stiff, crescent-shaped cells get stuck in small blood vessels. This slows or blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to parts of the body.
When this happens, it causes pain and other problems. People with sickle cell disease can have sudden bouts of pain, called crises (sickness). These Crises can be so severe that people often go to the hospital. People with sickle cell disease may also have anemia (a low number of red blood cells), which can make them feel tired and weak. Infections are also common in people with sickle cell disease because their bodies have a hard time fighting off germs.
There is no cure for sickle cell disease, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications. People with sickle cell disease need to stay hydrated and rest when they feel pain coming on. They might also need to take pain medicine or receive intravenous (IV) fluids through a needle in their vein. If someone has a lot of pain or frequent Crises, they might need to be hospitalized so they can get IV fluids and pain medicine around the clock.
People with sickle cell disease should also see their doctor regularly so they can be treated for any complications early on. With proper care, people with sickle cell disease can have a normal life expectancy. However, there is still no cure for sickle cell disease, and it can be a lifelong condition.
They are also shaped like a sickle, which is why the term “sickle cell” is used. Sickle cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, blocking blood flow and causing pain.
There are different types of sickle cell conditions, which vary in severity. The most common type is called sickle cell anemia (say: an-uh-mee-uh). People with this type usually have mild symptoms. But they may have more serious problems from time to time, especially when they have a fever or are dehydrated. These episodes are called “crises.”
A less common type of sickle cell disease is called sickle beta thalassemia (say: thuh-luh-see-mee-uh). People with this condition often have more severe symptoms than those with sickle cell anemia.
The most serious type of sickle cell disease is called sickle beta zero thalassemia (say: thuh-luh-see-mee-uh). People with this condition usually have very severe symptoms and often need blood transfusions to survive.
Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder that affects the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs when these abnormal red blood cells stick together, forming what are known as “sickle” cells. People with sickle cell trait do not have sickle cell disease, although they may be prone to various conditions associated with sickled cells (ACS). Thalassemia and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia. The Sickle Cell Trait (AS) is a hereditary condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are produced in the red blood cells, but there are always more A than S.
They have no symptoms and usually live a normal life span. However, they can pass the sickle cell gene to their children. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder. People with SCD have abnormal hemoglobin, called hemoglobin S or sickle hemoglobin, in their red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Red blood cells are normally shaped like discs, which allows them to move easily through small blood vessels. But red blood cells with hemoglobin S become hard and sticky and are shaped like crescent moons. These abnormal cells block small blood vessels and do not carry oxygen well. This can cause pain and other serious problems such as infection, organ damage, and stroke.
SCD is a lifelong condition that can be mild or severe. People with SCD need special medical care to prevent complications and manage pain. With early diagnosis and treatment, most people with SCD live into adulthood.
There are different types of sickle cell disease, depending on which hemoglobin genes are affected. The most common type is called sickle cell anemia (SCA). People with SCA have two abnormal hemoglobin S genes (one from each parent). Other types of SCD include sickle beta thalassemia and hemoglobin C disease.
The way that sickle cell anemia is inherited is similar to the manner in which blood type, hair color and texture, eye color, and other physical traits are passed down from parent to child. The types of hemoglobin produced by a person’s red blood cells are determined by the hemoglobin genes he or she inherited from his or her parents. Hemoglobin genes, like most genes, are received in two copies…one from each parent (for example, if one parent has Sickle Cell Anemia and the other is Normal).
If both parents have sickle cell trait, then there is a 25% chance that the child will have sickle cell anemia). In the U.S., Sickle Cell Anemia occurs among blacks at a rate of about 1 in 625 live births. Hispanics of African descent also are affected by the Sickle Cell Anemia gene. It is estimated that 70,000 to 80,000 Americans suffer from sickle cell disease.
There are two common types of sickle cell conditions: hemoglobin SS disease (sickle cell anemia) and hemoglobin SC disease. People with sickle cell trait usually do not have any symptoms unless they become dehydrated or have low oxygen levels.
Sickle cell anemia is the more serious of the two types. People with sickle cell anemia have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S. These blood cells are shaped like a sickle, or crescent moon. The misshapen blood cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which slows or blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to parts of the body. This can cause pain and organ damage.
People with SC disease have red blood cells that contain both hemoglobin S and C. These blood cells are also abnormal in shape, but not as much as those seen in people with sickle cell anemia. As a result, people with SC disease usually don’t have as many problems as those with sickle cell anemia.
There is no cure for sickle cell conditions, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications. For example, people with sickle cell anemia can have regular blood transfusions to help prevent pain crises and organ damage. People with SC disease often don’t need transfusions unless they also have another medical condition such as diabetes.
Bone marrow transplants are sometimes used to treat people with sickle cell anemia, but this is a very risky procedure. A bone marrow transplant requires finding a donor who is a perfect match for the patient. The chances of finding a matching donor are very low, so most people with sickle cell anemia cannot have this procedure.