Sickle+Cell+Anemia

toc __**Sickle Cell Anemia**__ By: Royce

**__Disease:__**[[image:sickle_cell_anemia2.jpg align="right"]]
[|Sickle cell anemia] is a disease in which your body creates abnormal red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are disc shaped, but sickle cells are shaped like a cresent. They can stick and clump up inside of your bloodstream restricting blood flow to your body. Normal [|red blood cells] carry oxygen to your cells, but sickle cells are unable to carry the same amount of [|oxygen] to your cells. This can lead to damaged cells in areas with a lack of blood flow, as well as pain episodes in those areas for a day or few days at a time. It can also damage organs in your body, making people who get sick have a greater risk of infection. .

__**Molecular Level:**__
Sickle cell anemia is a disease that is [|inherited] from your parents. Many people have what is called sickle cell trait, in which they just carry the gene for the [|disease], and produce both types of [|hemoglobin] for the blood cells. Normal red blood cells have hemoglobin A, but sickle cells have hemoglobin S, which stands for sickle, these blood cells last around 10-20 days whereas normal [|blood cells] last about 120 days. The body is unable to produce enough blood cells to keep up with the rate of sickle cells dying. The hemoglobin S causes the cells to develop incorrectly, and do not pass through the body as easily as their normal red blood cell with hemoglobin A counterparts. Someone may have sickle cell trait but they do not actually have the disease. If they were to have children with another person who had sickle cell trait, or sickle cell anemia their child would have sickle cell anemia. There is a easy test you can use to find out if you have sickle cell trait or the disease.

__**Treatment:**__
Sickle cell anemia does not have a cure as of yet. Some people have been cured from receiving a [|bone marrow transplant], but that is only one treatment option available. Since blood cells are created in the bone marrow, people often get transplants with bone marrow that does not produce the sickle cells. They can also take [|antibiotics], and [|pain relievers], and receive blood transfusions. [|Hydroxyurea] was discovered to help reduce severe pain, and reduce the need for [|blood transfusions] in adult patients. It can be found in the prescription form of [|Droxia].

**__Links:__**
http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/about_scd/index.phtml http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_WhatIs.html

**__Picture Links:__**
http://www.biologycorner.com/anatomy/blood/sickle_cell_anemia2.jpg http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/sicklecell/images/inheritance.gif