Sickle Cell Disease
BY: Taylor Walker
What is Sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease is a disorder that affects the red blood cells, which use a protein called hemoglobin to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Is it genectic?
Yes, Sickle cell disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.
Sickle Cell Anemia is caused by a genetic mutation of the gene that produces hemoglobin. The gene is inherited through a pattern called autosomal recessive inheritance; which means that the father and the mother must carry and pass on the defective gene for a child to be born with Sickle Cell Anemia.
What are the symptoms?
- Severe pain
- Anemia
- Chest pain and difficulty breathing
- strokes
- joint pain,arthritis and bone infractions
- Blockage of blood flow in the spleen or liver
- severe infections
Is there a cure?
- Babies and young children with sickle cell disease must take a daily dose of penicillin to prevent potentially deadly infections.
- Doctors advise people with sickle cell disease to get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and avoid too much physical activity.
- Blood transfusions can also provide a patient with healthy red blood cells, and is also a common treatment.
- People with more severe cases of the disease can be treated with a bone marrow transplant. This procedure provides the patient with healthy red blood cells from a donor, ideally from a sibling.
Citations
- learn.genectics.utah.edu
- www.webmd.com
- www.medicinenet.com