The discussion on sickle cell disease

Treatment involves a number of measures. L-glutamine use was supported by the FDA starting at the age of 5 as it decreases complications.

It is characterized by the presence of sickle, or crescent-shaped, red blood cells erythrocytes in the bloodstream. These crescent-shaped cells are stiff and sticky and interact with other cells and the blood clotting system to block blood flow in the very tiny blood vessels capillaries of the peripheral blood system blood vessels outside of the heart.

This prevents the normal flow of nutrition and oxygen as red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Common symptoms associated with SCD include excruciating bone pain, chest pain, severe infections primarily in childrenlow levels of circulating red blood cells anemia and yellowing of the skin jaundice.

The blocked blood flow can also cause severe organ damage including stroke. In SCD, the symptoms stem from the abnormal hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The abnormal hemoglobin causes the red blood cells to be sickle-shaped which triggers a series of events leading to fragile red blood cells and blocking blood flow.

The most common signs and symptoms of SCD are associated with low red blood cells anemia and pain. The most common symptom of anemia is feeling tired and weak fatigue.

Sickle cell pain episodes can occur suddenly and is typically in bones and the abdomen, but can occur almost anywhere.

The pain can last for days to over a week acute or continue long-term chronic. Damage can occur to most parts of the body including the brain, lung, kidneys, and joints.

SCD can cause yellow eyes jaundice from the breakdown of blood. In patients with SCD, the spleen can become enlarged splenomegaly as it traps red blood cells that should be in the bloodstream. The spleen functions to filter out abnormal red blood cells and fights some infections such as the bacteria that cause strep throat.

Damage to the spleen leads to decreased ability to fight some typically mild infections that can become life-threatening in SCD.

Acute chest syndrome can occur if an infection or sickled cells damages the lungs. This is a life-threatening complication of SCD. Additional complications of SCD include stroke, which can occur in children as young as 2 years.

Boys and men with sickle cell disease may experience painful, prolonged erections priapism at any age. The signs and symptoms of SCD vary from patient to patient, and some patients have more mild symptoms while others may have more severe symptoms requiring hospitalization. SCD is present at birth; however, most infants do not show any signs until four months of age and many do not show signs until several years of age.

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The symptoms typically begin in the first three years of life. The extreme pain episodes are often triggered by something such as getting cold, becoming dehydrated, infection, over doing it, or trauma. Children with SCD may grow slowly and reach puberty later.

As people with SCD age, other additional complications become more common. Pulmonary hypertension can develop due to damage to the small blood vessels and air sacs in the lungs. This can cause decreased ability to exercise, shortness of breath and tiredness. Leg sores that are often hard to heal can occur; damage to the retina can occur causing eye problems.

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Kidney damage can occur and gallstones are often present. There are many forms of SCD. Sickle beta-plus thalassemia and sickle cell hemoglobin C disease are usually less severe.

Diagnosing exactly what form of SCD someone has is important and there is a lot of confusion about the different forms. Genetic diseases are determined by two genes, one received from the father and one from the mother.

Recessive genetic disorders occur when an individual inherits the same altered gene for the same trait from each parent.

If an individual receives one normal gene and one gene for the disease, the person will be a carrier for the disease, but usually will not show symptoms.

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In SCD this is more complicated. Some people with SCD only get the sickle mutation from one parent, but have a different mutation from the other parent. This can lead to forms of SCD such as sickle beta- thalassemia and sickle cell hemoglobin C disease.

Some people with sickle cell trait may have some medical complications and show some symptoms. It is also common in people of Hispanic decent, from India, Central America and the Arabian Peninsula, but can occur in people of any background.

SCD affects approximately one in every — African American newborns. The sickle cell trait is present in approximately 40 percent of the general population in some areas of Africa.

The incidence of sickle cell trait in Americans of African descent is 9 percent. Mutations in the HBB gene are common in people from African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian ancestry and in people from the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America, but can be found in people of any ethnicity.disease On February 7, , the agency held a meeting focused on sickle cell disease, which included a discussion of patient perspectives on the available treatments for the disease, the.

Sickle cell disease can affect every body system. Most patients experience both chronic and episodic pain, and acute pain crisis is the most common reason for emergency department use by patients with. effects of sickle cell disease that matter most to patients and (2) patients’ perspectives on treatments 4 for sickle cell disease and on clinical trial participation.

Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70, to 80, Americans. The disease is estimated to occur in 1 in African Americans and 1 in 1, to 1, Hispanic Americans. Related Information. Summary Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a rare blood disorder that is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.

It is characterized by the presence of sickle, or crescent-shaped, red blood cells (erythrocytes) in . Tips for Supporting Students with Sickle Cell Disease Why We Created this Booklet The purpose of this booklet is to describe sickle cell disease (SCD) and identify roles for teachers, other school staff and parents/caregivers to support students living with SCD.

We identify ways SCD may impact a.