A group of blood disorders that are typically inherited from a person’s parents is termed as sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is the most common type in this group of disorders. In the country, most people with the disease are of African ancestry, but the condition is also common in people with a Hispanic background. This disease results in an abnormality in hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein found in the red blood cells.
With sickle cell anemia, the hemoglobin cells change in shape under certain circumstances and form into stiff rods within the red blood cells. Originally, the cells are disc-shaped, but sickle cell anemia changes them to a sickle or crescent shape. These sickle-shaped cells are rigid and cannot change shape easily, and many of them burst apart as they move through the blood vessels. This is unlike the normal red blood cells, which are quite elastic and deform to pass through the capillaries. The normal cells last for 90 to 120 days, whereas the sickle-shaped cells last for only 10 to 20 days, which may lead to a lack of healthy cells to replace the ones that have been lost, leading to a shortage of red blood cells.
Early signs and symptoms
The effects of sickle cell anemia can vary from person to person and change over time:
- This condition can make a person feel tired.
- It may lead to swelling of the hands and feet.
- An individual may also suffer from jaundice as a result of this condition.
- The sickle-shaped cells can also block the vessel walls, causing blood circulation to slow down or even stop entirely. Sufficient oxygen not reaching the nearby tissues can cause sudden attacks and severe pain without a warning and may require immediate hospitalization.
Over a period of time, sickle cell anemia can lead to complications like infections, delayed growth, and episodes of pain or pain crisis. Children with sickle cell anemia mostly have painless episodes, but adolescents and adults may suffer from chronic pain. Sickle cell anemia can harm a patient’s spleen, brain, eyes, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, joints, bones, or skin.
Diagnosis
A blood test can help to diagnose whether the person has sickle cell anemia or sickle cell traits as it counts the new or premature red blood cells produced by the bone marrow to replace the destructed ones. All states now test even newborns as part of their screening programs so that timely treatment can be undertaken. People who are known carriers of the disease often undergo genetic counseling before planning a child. Such tests are also carried out by either taking samples from the fetus or from the amniotic fluid, and the latter is usually preferred as the sample from the fetus can prove risky.
It is always better to consult a doctor in case any of the symptoms of this condition are observed so as to avoid any complications.
