Description: This is a pciture of normal red blood cells and some sickle cell red clood cells.
Image copyright: http://www.medicalook.com/diseases_images/sickle_cell_anemia2.jpg
Sickle cell anemia is caused by an abnormal type of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. (healthline). It was discovered in the later 1870's and it affects 1 in every 500 African Americans. The disease affects both women and men. It is when red blood cells that are normally round shaped are sickle or a crescent shape. Red blood cells normally live 120 days, but when you have sickle cell they only live about 10-20 days ( ornl).
Problems with the disorder
Some of the signs of sickle cell include hand-foot syndrome, which is when blood vessels are blocked. Another symptom is fatigue, shortness of breath, and paleness. A third symptom is eye problems with the retina( the retina process the images you see) also dames to the retina that can cause blindness (ornl).
Genetics of this disorder
This disorder is inherited by the parents and it is caused by an HBB gene. To get sickle cell anemia you have to have inherited two defected (SS) genes. It is a dominate disorder and if both parents have a capital S you have a 25 % of getting sickle cell anemia. (ornl)
It is inherited by an auto recessive trait. (healthline)
Treatment
There is no cure for sickle cell anemia, but there is treatment like you can get blood transfusions. They try and use the blood transfusions to correct the anemia by increasing the blood flow. You can also get antibiotics to try to prevent infection and an early death.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent this disorder, but you can detect it by the parents to see if your child has the possibility of getting this disease.
