The cause of sickle cell disease is a defective gene called the sickle cell gene. People with the disease are born with two sickle cell genes, one from each parent. Currently, allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only way for health care providers to cure sickle cell disease and other forms of sickle cell anemia. Health care providers usually recommend a transplant for people with serious complications such as stroke, acute breast syndrome, or recurrent attacks of VOCs or acute pain. A stem cell transplant (also called a bone marrow transplant) is the only known cure for sickle cell disease. Transplants are complex and risky procedures and are only an option for some patients at the moment. Below is a list of symptoms and complications associated with sickle cell disease. However, each person may experience different symptoms. Symptoms and complications may include: Your blood may contain sickle cell disease, but they usually have no symptoms. However, they are carriers of the disease, which means they can pass the gene on to their children. But even without a cure, people with sickle cell disease can live fairly normal lives if they follow their treatment plan. Your plan could include: Some teens and adults with sickle cell disease also have chronic pain that can result from bone and joint damage, ulcers, and other causes. Sickle cell anemia is a group of conditions in which red blood cells are not formed as they should be.
Red blood cells usually look like round discs. But in sickle cell anemia, they are rather shaped like sickles or crescents. The following symptoms can occur because small blood vessels are blocked by abnormal cells: L-glutamine helps reduce some of the complications associated with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease develops over time. L-glutamine helps protect sickle cell disease from deformity. In 2017, the FDA approved Endari for the treatment of children 5 years of age and older and adults. Symptoms of sickle cell disease can resemble other blood disorders or medical problems. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
New treatments help people with sickle cell disease live longer and better quality of life. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the following suggestions for living well with sickle cell disease: People with sickle cell disease should receive the following vaccines to reduce their risk of infection: Over time, the spleen stops working. Therefore, people with sickle cell disease may experience symptoms of infections such as: Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are very risky and can have serious side effects, including death. For the transplant to work, the bone marrow must fit tightly. Usually, the best donor is a sibling. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are more common in severe sickle cell disease in children who have minimal organ damage caused by the disease. Acute chest syndrome is the most common complication of sickle cell disease.
It is also the leading cause of death and the second leading cause of hospitalization. This happens when sickle cells clump together and clog the blood vessels in your lungs. Symptoms include: The effects of sickle cell disease vary from person to person and can change over time. Most signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease are related to complications of the disease. They can include severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infection. Sickle cell disease is a disorder transmitted by families. Red blood cells, which are normally disc-shaped, take the form of a crescent or crescent. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website. Evidence-Based Management of Sickle Cell Disease: Expert Panel Report, 2014 www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/evidence-based-management-sickle-cell-disease.
Updated September 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2022. Normal red blood cells can live up to 120 days. However, sickle cell disease only lives for 10 to 20 days. Sickle cells can also be destroyed by the spleen due to their shape and rigidity. The spleen helps filter the blood from infections. The sickle cells get stuck in this filter and die. With fewer healthy red blood cells circulating in the body, you can become chronically anemic. Crescent-shaped cells also damage the spleen. This increases the risk of infection.
Studies show that sickle cell anemia carries a stigma related to the need for opioid painkillers to treat VOCs. Other studies show that people from racial minorities receive fewer painkillers and have to wait longer than whites.
