Sickle cell anemia - Research Paper Example

This paper briefly analyses various characteristics of Sickle cell anemia. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Anemia is a condition in which the number of red cells in blood decreases beyond certain limits. It can occur because of lack of hemoglobin and defective functioning of hemoglobin. Sickle cells contain sickle hemoglobin or hemoglobin S which is causing Sickle cell anemia. The changes in the shape of red blood cells are referred as sickling in medical terms. Sickle shaped means the shaping of red blood cells in the form of a crescent.

Normally blood cells are disc shaped and therefore it can move quickly through the blood. However, when it attains the shape of a crescent, mobility of these cells would be decreased. (Kids health: Sickle Cell Anemia, 2011) Sickling can affect the normal functioning of the cells in different ways. It can reduce the flexibility of the cells and thereby various complications can occur to the patient. Life expectancy of the Sickle cell anemia patients has found to be comparatively lower to that of the normal people.

Sickle cell anemia is usually appearing at the childhood itself. In areas where malaria is common, Sickle cell anemia found to be more common. In other words, a connection between Sickle cell anemia and malaria cannot be ruled out. . It should be noted that normal life span of red blood cells is about 120 days. If red cells die within 10 to 20 days from its production, it is evident that the normal number of red cells cannot be sustained in blood. It is difficult for bone marrow to supply enough red cells based on the demand created by the untimely death of red cells.

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS If both parents have the sickle cell trait, the chance that a child will have sickle cell disease is 25%. If one parent is carrying the trait and the other actually has disease, the odds increase to 50% that their child will inherit the disease (Sickle cell anemia: patient education, 2011) Sickle cell anemia normally occurs when a child gets two sickle cell genes from his parents. If the child gets the defective gene or hemoglobin from one parent and normal hemoglobin from the other parent, he may develop sickle cell trait.

However, such people may not show the symptoms of this disease. Symptoms of Sickle cell anemia may not appear until a child becomes four months old. Unusual pain lasting from hours to days is the major symptom of Sickle cell anemia. In some cases, the pain might be extended for many years. Pain can affect the entire body. “Abdominal pain, Bone pain, Breathlessness, Delayed growth and puberty, Fatigue, Fever, Paleness, Rapid heart rate, Ulcers on the lower legs, jaundice, Chest pain, Excessive thirst, Frequent urination, Painful and prolonged erection, Poor eyesight, Strokes, Skin ulcers” (Sickle cell anemia, 2011) etc are the major symptoms of Sickle cell anemia.

DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA “Complete blood count (CBC) test, Hemoglobin electrophoresis, Sickle cell test” (Sickle cell anemia, 2011) etc are some of the