Sickle Cell Anemia Research Paper

Sickle Cell Disease is an illness that affects people all across the globe. This paper will give a description of the sickness through the discussion of the causes, symptoms, and possible cures. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a "group of inherited red blood cell disorders."(1) These disorders can have various afflictions, such as pain, damage and a low blood count--Sickle Cell Anemia.

Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disorder that mostly affects people of African ancestry, but also occurs in other ethnic groups, including people who are of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent. More than 70,000 Americans have sickle cell anemia. And about 2 million Americans - and one in 12 African Americans - have sickle cell trait (this means they carry one gene for the disease, but do not have the disease itself).

Sickle Cell Anemia or Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a passed down blood disorder that attacks and destroys the red blood cells. This Disease was first discovered back in 1910. The disease was first described as a clinical entity by Herrick1 in 1910 (Anderson & Ware 1932). Sickle cell sickness is brought about by a change in the hemoglobin-Beta quality found on chromosome 11. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body. Red platelets with typical (hemoglobin-An) are smooth and round and coast through veins. Typical red platelets are round like doughnuts, and they travel through little blood tubes in the body to convey oxygen. Sickle red platelets turn out to be hard, sticky and molded like sickles used to cut wheat. At times these blood cells can become crescent shaped and have a hard time passing through small blood vessels, this keeps red blood cells and the oxygen they carry from getting to all parts of the body. This causes less blood to reach the body at this point the tissues that have not received a normal blood flow will become damaged. Individuals who have sickle cell

In most cases, people with sickle cell begin experiencing symptoms at the age of 4 months’ symptoms include fatigue which happens due to the loss of red blood cells after they rupture as they are extremely fragile. Another symptom will be the pain, it develops when other is a blockage within the blood vessels in your chest, abdomen, and joints. Intensity varies and can even lead to hospitalization. Delayed growth and vision problems of blood cells blocking areas of the body. You are more prone to infections and will also experience swelling of the hands and feet.

Sickle cell anaemia is a disorder affecting the red blood cells and up to 100,000 people are estimated to have the disease in the USA (Centre for Disease Control). Due to a genetic mutation in the gene responsible for the production of haemoglobin (MayoClinic, 2014) the red blood cells, which are usually a biconcave disk in shape, become sickle (bent) shaped (Figure 1) and the haemoglobin that the red blood cells contain is defective. Haemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen (which has bind to the haemoglobin) around the body from the lungs after gas exchange. Having defective haemoglobin, as is the case with sickle cell anaemia, means

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. Sickle cell

“In 1973, the average lifespan for people with sickle cell anemia was only 14 years old.” The current life span for people with sickle cell can reach 50 years and older. Women with sickle cell live longer than males with the disease. Some patients live without symptoms for years, some others do not survive infancy or early childhood. Some causes of death for people who have the sickle cell disease include stroke, bacterial infections, liver failure or bleeding into the

Not only this disrupts oxygen from delivered, but the lack of oxygen also results in pain or crises for most. For children the pain scale can be from zero to very little pain, but for adults the pain may be severe. Doctors will often recommend the person to drink large amounts of liquid and take medications for instance ibuprofen. People with this disease are usually very tired and have a decrease in red blood cells. A normal red blood cell lives up to 120 days and automatically kills itself. A sickle cell lives up to 14 days so the body cannot necessarily keep up because the cells are rapidly

Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder in which red blood cells take on an abnormal shape. Sickle cell anemia is when the red blood cells hemolyze, or die. Sickle cell disease is inherited from generation to generation and is the most common in inherited blood disorders. An estimated 70,000-100,000 people in America are currently suffering from this disease, most of which are African Americans. One is diagnosed with sickle cell disease in early childhood generally around four months old when the signs and symptoms are presented. Because of its huge impact, the United States requires all newborns to be tested for this disease. [1] Sickle cell disease is known to affect, “approximately 1 in every 400-500 African American

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorders which leads to an abnormal hemoglobin or red blood cell shape. Hemoglobin is the protein found in red blood cells which transports oxygen throughout the body. Sickle cell disease is inherited by being passed on through genes from parents to their offspring. It is not a contagious as one cannot contract it through an infection or being with someone else. Individuals with Sickle cell disease inherit two abnormal hemoglobin genes from each parent respectively. The alteration in the composure of hemoglobin of someone with sickle cell leads to the change in red blood cell shape from a normal circle to a sickle shape. This leads to blood clotting, dehydration, anemia, and low oxygen in tissues. Furthermore, some other negative side effects of Sickle cell anemia are weakened bones and an overworked heart. Although Sickle cell has no present-day cure, there are experimental trials being conducted through bone marrow transplant and has proven effective. The primary goal of this transplant study is to reduce and ultimately eliminate the frequency of the Sickle cell episodes, crisis maintain normal hemoglobin levels. There are ways to prevent episodic sickle cell crisis such as staying adequately hydrated, limiting physical activities, blood transfusions and taking

Sickle cell anemia is a severe condition in which there aren’t enough healthy, round red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout your body. It is a form of anemia in which a mutated form of hemoglobin--a red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates--distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape. This causes low oxygen levels. Normal red blood cells are flexible and round allowing for easy movement throughout your blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are rigid and sticky and are shaped like a crescent moon--or a sickle. The effect is the red blood cells get caught in small vessels and block blood from reaching different parts of the body. This can cause pain and tissue damage.

In fact, sickle cell trait is protective against malaria. Malaria is a disease caused by blood-borne parasites transmitted through mosquito bites. According to a theory, the genetic mutation is connected with the sickle cell trait that occurred thousands of years ago. The mutation increased carriers to survive malaria infection. Survivors then passed the mutation to their offspring. Sickle cell disease is known as a sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell diseases are caused by genetic change in hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is called sickle hemoglobin (Hb-S), has a tendency to develop into rod-like structures that alter the shape of the usually flexible and round red blood cells. The cells take on a shape that resembles that curved blade of a sickle. Sickle cells have a shorter life span than normally-shaped red blood cells. The results in chronic anemia caused by low levels of hemoglobin and decreased numbers of red blood cells. Sickle cells are flexible and stickier than normal red blood cells and can become trapped in small blood vessels preventing blood flow. The delivery of oxygen can result in pain and damage to connect tissues and organs. Sickle cell disease is within the

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited and noncontagious, lifelong condition. More specifically, per Ohaeri, Shokunbi, Akinlade, & Dare, 1995, SCD is a generic term for a group of genetic disorders characterized by the predominance of sickle cell hemoglobin (Hgb). Hemoglobin is a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. The disease produces significantly abnormal Hgb molecules in red blood cells (RBCs). In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become rigid and sticky and are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These irregularly shaped cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body (Ohaeri, Shokunbi, Akinlade, & Dare, 1995, p. 955.Individuals

Even the slightest changes within a single protein may greatly affect the health of a human being and their descendants. Sickle cell blood anemia is a type of blood disorder in which the proteins within the affected person have slightly mutated in order to form a sickle shaped cell. This can cause chronic health problems to a patient that has sickle cell anemia since their sickle shaped blood cells may obstruct their circulatory system. Despite this disease being chronic, a patient can only get sickle cell anemia if they have inherited it. Sickle cell anemia is most commonly inherited by African Americans and Hispanics. In other words, sickle cell anemia is a chronic disease in which a person is inheritably born with some sickle shaped blood

Sickle Cell Anemia is a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down. Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70,000 to 80,000 Americans (Ashley-Koch, Yang and Olney). Sickle Cell Anemia causes your red blood cells to be thin, stiff, and shaped like a sickle. But your red blood cells are supposed to be round and soft. A person that is diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, their blood cells start to become clogged, causing blood clots, which can cause a great amount of health issues including: infections, stroke, and acute chest syndrome. People get sickle cell anemia by inheriting a mutated gene from both of their parents. On the down side, there is not currently an effective cure for sickle cell anemia, there are several different therapeutic approaches to treating and attempting to cure the disease and help people who are affected with sickle cell anemia better manage their symptoms. There have also been several great scientists that dedicated a lot of research to help find a cure for sickle cell anemia.