Sickle Cell Anemia Research Paper

People with sickle cell anemia also may have bouts of pain in the chest, stomach, arms, legs, or other parts of the body. This is caused by sickle cells blocking blood flow through the blood vessels. Feeling tired and having trouble fighting

In this article, sickle cell anemia is defined as a hereditary disease that destroys red blood cells by causing them take on an elongated and rigid "sickle" shape. In addition, a different type of hemoglobin called Hemoglobin S, is the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. This protein starts to wrap around other red blood cells when oxygen is lacking to form a helical shape. Once this happens the cells cluster together and elongate and the cells start to "sickle". A person who has sickle cell anemia can only get it if both of their parents carry the sickle cell trait, if only one parent has the trait then there children are at risk for having the trait.

Approximately 100,000 people suffer from Sickle Cell Anemia everyday and about 2 million people have the Sickle Cell trait in the United States alone. Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70,000 to 80,000 Americans (Pruthi 2018). The disease is estimated to occur in 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans (Pruthi 2018). Sickle cell anemia is an inherited form of anemia, a condition in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout your body normally, your red blood cells are flexible and round, moving easily through your blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become

Sickle cell anaemia is caused when the red blood cells are of an unusual shape. This is a condition which is genetically inherited and is especially common in Afro-Caribbean children. Children who have sickle cell disease can have what's called a sickle cell crisis, this is due to the misshaped blood cells that cling to each other and gather in the joints of the body. This is usually very painful and can make the child very uncomfortable and distressed. The setting should be given instructions from the parents on how to treat the child. This is usually done by comforting the child and calling for medical help or an ambulance.

Prevalence of Sickle Cell Anemia: Sickle cell anemia is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting about 72,000 Americans or 1 in 500 African Americans.

All of the cells within the tissues of the body need a regular supply of oxygen to function. The hemoglobin found in red blood cells (RBC’s) are essential for the proper transport of oxygen molecules. They bind oxygen in the lungs and carry to every tissue within the body. Due to the structure of hemoglobin, normal RBC’s are donut shaped with a concaved center. This flexible shape is what allows the BRC’s to move freely into very small spaces such as capillaries where they will deliver their oxygen. Sickle cell anemia or other diseases that fall within the broader group of disorders characterized by SCD describe conditions where the protein (hemoglobin) has misfolded and altered the shape of the cell. Sickle hemoglobin allows for the formation of stiff rods within the red blood cell giving it a sickle, or crescent shape. This new shape is not flexible and can block or slow the flow of blood. When this occurs, oxygen cannot reach its intended tissues. This results in severe pain called crises, and these attacks occur

The disease I choose to talk about is Sickle Cell anemia, which is a blood disease that is prevalent among the African American race. This disease is interesting to me because it is a hereditary disease, so it can only be contracted if your parents have the disease. Sickle Cell anemia is caused by abnormal hemoglobin, the red blood cells in your body contain two vital hemoglobin molecules, a protein that carries the oxygen through your blood to travel throughout the body. People with sickle cell anemia, they have two copies of abnormal hemoglobin referred to as hemoglobin S. The molecule is what causes the problems within the red blood cells, rendering them unable to properly complete the process of carrying oxygen where it needs to go.

The short life span of RBCs and the damage they cause to tissues can result in the following signs and symptoms: severe abdominal pain, priapism, tissue engorgement, painful swelling of joints and feet, fever, shock, profound anemia, and hypovolemia. Many organs can be affected to include the brain, eyes, bones, liver, spleen, kidneys, penis, extremities, and skin (Ball, J., & Bindler, R., 2015). Pain from sickle cell crises is the most common reasons for hospitalization in children with sickle cell disease. Pain typically affects the joints, chest, back and abdomen. Children may also experience acute chest syndrome (ACS), a life threatening complication requiring hospitalization. ACS is characterized by chest pain, fever, tachypnea, cough, shortness of breath, crackles and

The sickle-shaped red blood cells break apart easily, having a shorter lifespan of only 10-20 days instead of the normal 120 days and aren 't replaced as quickly as normal blood cells. This leads to a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia.

It is pertinent to note that because of the sickle shaped cells, they cannot therefore squeeze through the capillaries. The cells thus end up clogging blood vessels presenting normal blood flow to other cell and tissues in the body. The blockage results into severe pain joints, as well as arms, legs and the stomach..It is pertinent to observe that people suffering from this condition can live normal lives with close medical attention.

The deformity caused by sickle cell anemia results in a decreased oxygen carrying capacity by the cell, and that leads to a variety of related issues. Additionally, the lifespans of sickle cells are shorter than the lifespans of regular red blood cells, because sickle cells are brittle and break apart easily. On the macroscopic level, symptoms for sickle cell anemia vary for age. A common symptom for infants is swelling in the hands and feet, often referred to as hand-foot syndrome. The swelling is a result of blood flow back to the heart being blocked by clusters of sickle cells. Perhaps the most common and widespread symptom is chronic pain. The pain occurs because the sickle cells obstruct the flow of blood to miniscule blood vessels leading to the chest, abdomen, and joints. These episodes of pain, called crises, vary from individual to individual. Some individuals experience only one or two crises in a year, and others suffer from dozens. The crises also vary in intensity and duration. While less common than crises, sickle cell anemia also leaves many crippled with infections because the liver, an organ that helps combat infections, can become damaged or destroyed by sickle cell anemia. Other, less common, symptoms and side effects of sickle cell anemia include vision problems, jaundiced eyes,

Jaundice can cause a person’s skin and whites of the eyes to develop a yellowish tint. It is also common for people with sickle cell anemia to have a hard time fighting infections. Teens with sickle cell anemia grow more slowly and reach puberty later then other normal teens and people. Having sickle cell anemia can cause people to feel severe pain at times in their stomach, arms, legs, or other parts of their body. Periods of pain are referred to as pain crises. Depending on the person you never will know how severe the pains are, how long they last, or even how often they happen. Some people can have the crises happen more often than others. The crises can either be brief or last for hours, days, or even weeks. Sometimes the pain can be so intense to require hospital treatment. Sickle cell shaped blood cells block blood vessel. Blocking blood vessels can include the cause of leg ulcers, bone or joint damage, gallstones, kidney damage, painful long-lasting erections in males that is known as priapism, eye damage, and delayed growth. Also if they block blood vessels in the brain it puts people at risk of having a stroke. Signs of stroke include headache, seizures, weakness of the arms and legs, speech problems, a droop on one side of the face or body, and loss of consciousness. It is possible for some people to be ill enough to die from the disease, though that doesn’t happen to young people or

As far as treatment is concerned thankfully progression in modern science and medicine these last ten years have brought greatly improved techniques. One of the first forms of treatment is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a gas that scientists have tested on mice. This has been found to prevent the dehydration of the cells and the hemoglobin formation of sickle rods. The second possibility is blood transfusions. Transfusions are essential when dealing with severe cases of the

Sickle Cell Anemia is a hereditary disease that changes the smallest and most important components of the body. A gene causes the bone marrow in the body to make sickled shapes, when this happens; it causes the red blood cell to die faster. This is what causes Hemolytic Anemia. Older children and adults with sickle cell disease may experience a few complications, or have a pattern of ongoing problems that shorten their lives. The most common and serious complications of sickle cell disease are anemia, pain, fatigue, and organ failure. Today there are many alternatives and opportunities that a sickle cell patient may consider. One outlined in this paper is the Hydroxyurea method.

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.