Sickle Cell Disease
and it's affects
Sickle Cell Description
Sickle cell disease is much more common in people of African and Mediterranean descent. It is also seen in people from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
How Do You Get Sickle Cell?
How is Sickle Cell Tested and Diagnosed
Tests commonly performed to diagnose and monitor patients with sickle cell anemia include:
Bilirubin
Blood oxygen
Complete blood count (CBC)
Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
Serum creatinine
Serum potassium
Sickle Cell Test
A simple blood test, done at any time during a person's lifespan, can detect whether he or she has sickle hemoglobin. However, early diagnosis is very important.
Symptoms and Impact
Symptoms usually do not occur until after age 4 months.Almost all patients with sickle cell anemia have painful episodes (called crises), which can last from hours to days. These crises can cause pain in the bones of the back, the long bones, and the chest.Some patients have one episode every few years. Others have many episodes per year. The crises can be severe enough to require a hospital stay.
When the anemia becomes more severe, symptoms may include:
Fatigue
Paleness
Rapid heart rate
Shortness of breath
Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
Over time, the spleen no longer works. As a result, people with sickle cell anemia may have symptoms of infections such as:
Bone infection
Gallbladder infection (cholecystitis)
Lung infection (pneumonia)
Urinary tract infection
Other symptoms include:
-Delayed growth and puberty
-Painful joints caused by arthritis
Support Group
Interesting Facts
-In the United States, the disease most commonly affects African-Americans.
-About 1 out of every 500 African-American babies born in the United States has sickle cell anemia.
-Sickle cell disease is most common among people from Africa, India, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.
-Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder
-Patients need repeated blood transfusions
-Women with sickle cell are able to have healthy pregnancy's
-It reduces the risk of Malaria
-Miles Davis, Paul Williams, Tionne, and Georgeanna Tillman are famous celebrities that have or had sickle cell disease.
-Sickle cell is actually not a disease but, an inherited trait