Sickle Cell Anemia
A genetic disorder
What is Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle Cell Anemia is a disorder that affects your hemoglobin, the molecules in red blood cells that send oxygen through the body. People with this disorder have a molecule called hemoglobin S, which distorts red blood cells into a sickle or cresent shape. Peolpe with this disorder have symptoms such as cold hands and feet, headaches, periodic episodes of pain, repeated infection of red blood cells, and dizziness. According to Teens Health, "Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder that mostly affects people of African ancestry, but also occurs in other ethnic groups."
How it all starts
People who are homozygous for sickle cell hemoglobin have signs and symptoms that charecterize sickle cell anemia. On the other hand people who are heterozygous for sickle cell hemoglobin do not have symptoms of sickle cell anemia,but they can pass it down to their offspring. This is all caused by an autosomal recesive single gene defect. Autosomal is any other chromosome other than sex chromosomes.According to Sickle Cell Fund Inc.When these hard and pointed red cells go through the small blood tube, they clog the flow and break apart. This can cause pain, damage and a low blood count, or anemia.
Treatments For Sickle Cell Anemia
one of many Treatments for this disorder are blood transfusions, blood transfusions help ease pain by giving the patients body more blood so if the blood is cloged it will unclog. Of course some people choose to take pain medication. They do this because if your blood is cloged it is very painful so they take this medication to ease the pain.
Effects for life
This disorder is present at birth but symptoms don't start to show until about four months. According to March Of Dimes all babies have a Newborn Screening test for SCD. Newborn screening checks for serious but rare and mostly treatable condtions at birth. It includes blood, hearing and heart screening. With newborn screening, SCD can be found and treated early.