6 Essentials To Know Of Sickle Cell Disorder

September is sickle cell disease awareness month. The risk of having the gene for sickle cell is predominant in persons with ancestry originating from the Mediterranean, Africa and parts of India.

Serious health problems are associated with sickle cell disease, this article addresses some essential facts about this condition

1. Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition caused by a genetic abnormality in the gene for haemoglobin which results in the production of sickle haemoglobin.
2.  Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, the normal disc-shaped cells move through large and small blood vessels with ease to deliver oxygen throughout your body.
3. However, the presence of sickle haemoglobin leads to the formation of sickle-shaped cells and these cells tend to clump up, block blood flow and hinder the amount of oxygen distributed to your body's tissues and organs.
4. The amount of sickle haemoglobin present in the blood will determine whether you'll be a carrier of just the 'sickle cell trait' or whether you'll have full-blown sickle cell disease.
5. As a carrier of the sickle cell trait, you may not have any symptoms of the disease, or you may have a few; however, you'll pass on the problem gene to your offspring.
6.  If you have sickle cell disease (SCD) it's a life-long illness and the severity of the disease varies widely from person to person. Most of the signs and symptoms of SCD are related to complications of the disease.

The lack of tissue oxygen can cause attacks of sudden and without warning very severe pain, called “sickle cell crises” Often pain attacks occur in the chest, back, arms, legs, and abdomen but pain can occur anywhere in the body.

How intense the pain gets, and how long it lasts is different for each SCD sufferer. Pain can be mild or severe, it can last from short intervals to longer episodes. Sometimes you may require emergency room treatment or hospital stays.

Over a lifetime, SCD can harm your spleen, brain, eyes, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, joints, bones, or skin. Early diagnosis is critical and regular medical care may help prevent complications.

There are steps you can take to control your pain and sometimes prevent the occurrence of episodes of 'sickle cell crisis'. It is worthwhile to note that there are a few effective treatments that can reduce or relieve symptoms, prolong life and contribute to increased wellbeing.