Sickle Cell Disease

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 Disease is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that occurs due to a mutation in the β-globin gene of hemoglobin. Autosomal meaning that it is not linked to a sex chromosome, so either parent can pass on the gene to their child. This mutation is a result of a single substitution of amino acids, Glutamic for Valine at position 6 of a β globin chain. The presence of this mutation causes

Complications of sickle cell anemia are pain crisis, infection, acute chest syndrome, splenic sequestration, vision loss, leg ulcers, stroke, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Pain crisis is a feeling of pain that can happen all of the sudden with mild to severe intensity and last for a period of time (“Facts About Sickle Cell Disease,” 2016). Serious bacterial infections are potential life threatening due to the damage to the spleen in some people who have sickle cell anemia (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca/signs). Acute chest syndrome can be life threatening and symptoms included chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever. Splenic sequestration is can be life threatening

Sickle Cell Anemia has proven to be one of the most widespread genetic diseases in America, affecting 100,000 or more individuals according to the NHBLI (2008). Each person affected by sickle cell anemia must seek out expert advice and care for combating the disease, but as of late, care has been lacking in the medical field for these patients. Therefore providing optimal care and effective treatments for patients with sickle cell anemia will involve more research and funding in the future. Studies have shown that treatment for sickle cell patients is lacking and drugs are scarce and sparse, which has left this population medically neglected. The need to focus more research and allocate more funding toward sickle cell research is evident

Sickle Cell Disease or also widely known as Sickle Cell Anemia is a genetic mutation caused in red blood cells destroys its own cells within and reshaping the cell wall resembling crescent or sickle shape; getting its name of the sickle cell disease. These sickled shaped cells attempt to perform its normal function of circulating oxygenated and deoxygenated RBC and gets lodged in small vessels causing vaso-occlusion. Where vaso-occlusive take effect, rest of the body is not receiving oxygen becoming oxygen deprived results in acute and chronic pain and organ damage (Valerie Mann-Jiles, 2015). This disease a lifelong condition affecting not just the person carrying the disease but the whole family. Treating this disease

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

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

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

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 is a chronic condition that a person can inherit from their parents in which it effects the globular structure of the patients red blood cells. A more sickle shaped structure, which can alter a person’s blood flow, replaces the more common globular structure. This impairment in blood flow can lead to blood clots, severe debilitating pain and damage to vital organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen. This disease currently affects over 90,000 people in the United States, with the majority of them being African American and

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.

Irregular shaped sickle cells do not transport enough oxygen to perfuse body tissue, tissue not receiving enough oxygen causes more cells to sickle. An abnormal shaped sickled cell may become lodged to a blood vessel where other cells then bind to it and begin to form a clump. The blood vessels continually attach to each other and result in a blockage of small blood vessels eventually resulting in organ damage. Sickle cell disease commonly affects the spleen before other organs. Children can suffer life threatening complications when blood is trapped in the spleen, many must have the spleen removed in early childhood causing them to have a decreased immune system therefore putting them at higher risk for infections. The leading cause of death in young children with sickle cell disease is bacterial infections. Other complications can include stroke, acute chest syndrome with pulmonary infiltrate and infection, priapism, retinopathy, kidney damage, and gallstone formation (Ball, J., & Bindler, R., 2015). Sickling of the cell can be triggered by the following: emotional or physical stress, fever, or hypoxia. Precipitataing factors can include increased blood thickness, hypoxia or low oxygen tension. Sickle cell crisis may result from extreme fatigue, infection, trauma, surgery, cold exposure or dehydration, or any other condition that increases the body’s need for oxygen or that alters the transport of oxygen. Sickled cells have a

Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic blood disorder that’s passed down to a child at birth from their parents. Babies inherit two abnormal genes one from each parent which causes the red blood cells to become deformed and change shape. Genes are elements is the cell that allows certain information determining traits like eye, hair color, etc. Normal rbc’s are flat, flexible, round with dimples in the middle taking on a doughnut like shape. These cells are able to move throughout the blood vessels suppling oxygen all over the body. Sickle rbc’s are long, stiff pointed ends, taking on an old farm tool called a sickle. Which is where its name derived from. These sickle shaped cell begin to bunch together causing a backup in the blood vessels causing

There are sometime not proper red blood cells to carry suitable oxygen in your body. Anemia is a genetic form by sickle cell anemia. Usually, red blood cells are elastic which can move and round nicely in blood vessels. If there will be any problem in as sickle cell anemia, then red blood cells changed into an inflexible. If sickle cell will be inflexible than cells cannot move blood one to another place perfectly. Red blood cells convent as gluey and looks as sickles or crescent moons. When cells shape will be unevenly than unevenly shaped cells create problems for blood vessels. These unevenly formed cells can have stuck in tiny blood vessels. These can be slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of body which is so necessary for human body. These makes healthy to human body. These are number of people who has sickle cell anemia. There is treatment which is provide relieve from pain and avoid difficulties. Which are related with this disease.

Sickle cell anemia is characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia punctuated with acute episodes known as the sickling crises. The presence of valine in HbS makes the hemoglobin molecule dysfunctional. In periods of hypoxia, the