Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70,000 to 80,000 Americans. The disease is estimated to occur in 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans.
Today about 100,000 people have the disease known as sickle cell anemia. Even some famous people such as Prodigy the rapper, and Miles Davis the musician currently are living with sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia
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Signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease usually begin in early childhood. Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. Characteristic features of this disorder include a low number of red blood cells or anemia, repeated infections, and periodic episodes of pain. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person. Some people have mild symptoms, while others are frequently hospitalized for more serious complications. Infections are common with sickle cell such as infections in the urine making it unclear and sometimes bloody. It can also cause pain in the joint. This pain is why most victims of sickle cell anemia say their bodys are always sore and uncomfortable. Lastly, people who have the disorder tend to be fatigued and majorly lazy do to the lack of energy due to their aching …show more content…
The only cure for this disease is a bone marrow transplant also known as stem cell transplant. This is usually saved for patients who are under the age of 16, since the risks get larger with age. The other treatments include medications such as : antibiotics, pain relieving medicines called Hydroxyurea . When taken daily, hydroxyurea reduces the frequency of painful crises and might reduce the need for blood transfusions and hospitalizations. Hydroxyurea seems to work by stimulating production of fetal hemoglobin, a type of hemoglobin found in newborns that helps prevent the formation of sickle cells. The bad side of Hydroxyurea is that it increases your risk of infections, and there is some concern that long-term use of this drug might cause problems later in life for people who take it for many years. More study is needed and you should always ask your doctor if you are healthy enough to take it.
Blood transfusions are another option. This can increase the number of red blood cells that cause anemia and makes the body weak and it can fight off other complications from the disease. Gene therapy is a newer treatment that inserts a normal gene into the bone marrow of a person with sickle cell anemia hoping for a result of normal hemoglobin but this process is still in an experimental stage.
Sickle cell anemia affects many people around the World in areas of Africa, the Middle East and Spanish speaking countries to list a few.
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 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.
In conclusion, sickle cell anemia and the sickle cell trait are more common in African-Americans and people who live in places where malaria is common. Individuals with the trait seem to live normal and healthy lives, however individuals who have the trait and experience high altitudes or vigorous exercise tend to feel unwell because of the lack of oxygen getting into the cells causing them to sickle. In addition, the sickling of the cells can be reversible to a certain extent in people with the trait, however people who have sickle cell anemia the sickling of the cells is irreversible due to the severity of the disease.
Sickle cell anemia is an anemia that is inherited and mostly affects people whose heritage can be traced back to places where malaria was prevalent. There are approximately 100,000 Americans that have the disease and many more with the trait. Several of my family members are afflicted by this medical condition that causes red blood cells to take on an irregular shape.
“In the United States, it's estimated that sickle cell anemia affects 70,000–100,000 people, mainly African Americans” (NHLBI, NIH, Who is at risk for sickle cell anemia). SCD is a disease that is a serious disorder in which the body can make normal blood cells and sickle shape cells. Sickle shape cells can block the blood flow in your vessels and cause pain or organ damage also put you in risk for infections. SCD has no cure available but there are many treatments out there to deal with the complications of it. From over years treatments did get better from way back in the day doctors have learned. Sickle cell disease has lack of attention and funding because it’s only affecting
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
It has always been assumed that genetics and lifestyle play a major role in the presence of health disparities and health care issue that affects African-Americans. This paper provides a historical background to a key disease more prevalent in the African American community, Sickle Cell Anemia, the history behind the disease, genetic mechanisms that influences once probability of inheritance and in-depth treatment on how to manage, prevent and sustain a healthy lifestyle when dealing with sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease that alters important aspects of the body physiologically and can be inherited via genes. Sickle cell disease (SCD) was first identified in 1910 and has existed in the continent of Africa for five
The diagnosis for the disease is straightforward. All states screen newborns for sickle cell. This can be done by a simple blood test. The treatment for sickle cell anemia is minimal. There are no cures for the disease. However treatments and pain killers can help with some of the symptoms. There are a few environmental factors of sickle cell. For example people with the disease should avoid cold areas so that their blood flow stays normal. They should also make sure that they have good circulation at all times to ensure that the blood is moving. All in all, sickle cell is a simple disease that does not take much to deal
According to the 2016 edition of the Oxford dictionary, to define someone or a group of people as vulnerable means that they are susceptible to physical or emotional harm (Vulnerable, 2016). One of the most recognized populations of vulnerable people are children; furthermore, by adding an inherited disease process, that decreases the immune system, would only increase the vulnerability of the population. Children with sickle cell anemia are highly susceptible to being attacked both physically and emotionally by foreign invaders that threaten their already fragile immune systems. During the process of “making hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in our red blood cells, a defect can occur when the amino acid glutamate is replaced by valine. This simple substitution can cause the red blood cell to sometimes collapse, assuming the characteristic sickle shape. The red blood cells, normally very elastic and able to conform to the shape of tiny capillary blood vessels, become rigid and can block the blood vessels, depriving tissue of oxygen and resulting in severe pain” (Stone, 2015). Sickle cell children must endure an incredible amount of pain, many hospitalizations, a pain management regimen, and the inability to experience the normal, everyday life that most of their peers participate in each day. Health care for sickle cell children is focused toward management because there is no cure and as their bodies run out of healthy red blood
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
Approximately, two million Americans carry the sickle cell trait. 72,000 people are affected by sickle cell anemia in the U.S., most of whose ancestors had come from sub Saharan Africa, Spanish speaking regions, and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy. In Hispanic American births, one in every thousand people acquire sickle cell anemia. The symptoms created by the blockage of blood flow can vary from patient to patient. Some have milder symptoms than others. Physicians use Hand-foot syndrome on patients to determine the disease. Sickle cells that clog small blood vessels in the hands and feet are one characteristic of the disease. Symptoms the patient suffers are swelling of the hands, feet and various joints. The pain
The results from the trial showed 233 of 299had seen a decrease in their attacks, and a “40% reduction in mortality” (Platt 2008). The many beneficial aspects of Hydroxyurea make it a feasible candidate for sickle cell treatment but neglecting further research and development of the drug occurs too often. Hydroxyurea requires sickle cell patients to partake in a large amount of doctor visits to monitor the progress of treatment. This incorporate hassle could pose as a problem for sickle cell patients of lower socioeconomic status. Further, taking into consideration that the majority of individuals affected by sickle cell are minorities, and therefore most would find it difficult to maintain the cost of Hydroxyurea without proper insurance. Further research for Hydroxyurea stems for the exclusion of children in the studies conducted on reducing morbidity and sickle cell crisis, leaving a majority of younger individuals defenseless against painful episodes. Once Hydroxyurea receives further research to become inclusive of all age groups, the conduciveness of funding further research for other drugs becomes imperative in finding alternatives to patients suffering from sickle cell anemia. The use of drugs to combat sickle cell anemia and alleviate the pain experienced from the disease requires the assistance of a well-trained and aware medical staff that understands a patient’s needs during a hospital
As to this day there is really no cure for sickle cell disease. Red blood cells take oxygen from the air we breathe into our lungs to all parts of the body. Oxygen is carried in red blood cells by a substance called hemoglobin(Hemoglobin –
Sickle cell disease is a disease that is most prevalent in people of African descent along with people of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin. This disease is known to affect about 70, 000 Americans and about 2 million people carry the trait (meaning that, they carry a single gene mutation).
Sickle Cell Anemia is a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down. Sickle Cell Anemia affects many people all over the world; 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. When a person is diagnosed with sickle cell anemia the blood cells start to become clogged blood vessels, 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.