Sickle Cell affects the red blood cells, which contain the special protein called hemoglobin (Hb), which is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the body. When sickle hemoglobin loses its oxygen to the tissues, it sticks together to form long rods inside the red blood cells. This gives the cells a rigid and sickle-shaped. Normal red blood cells, which are donut shaped, have the ability to bend and flex easily allowing them to move freely through blood vessels. Because of their shape, sickle red blood cells have a difficult time moving through small blood vessels as normal shaped cells. This contributes to the small blood vessels getting blocked, which then stops the oxygen from getting through to where it is needed. This in turn can lead to severe pain and damage to organs and over time these crises can cause Sickle Cell sufferers to experience damage to the liver, kid

Everyone has two copies of the gene for hemoglobin, one from their mother and one from their father. If one of these genes carries the instructions to make sickle hemoglobin (HbS) and the other carries the instructions to make normal hemoglobin (HbA) then the person will develop the Sickle Cell Trait and is a carrier of the sickle hemoglobin gene. This means that this person has enough normal hemoglobin in their red blood cells to keep the cells flexible and they don't have the symptoms of the sickle cell disorders. However, these individuals are always at a high risk for complications, when participating in activities where oxygen levels are below normal; activities like, mountain climbing and skiing at high altitudes, scuba diving, and being placed under general anesthetics.

Treatment for sickle cell disease usually focuses on symptoms;should manage and control symptoms that result from crises and try to limit the frequency of crises. Certain therapies may be necessary during a crises; for example: (1) painful episodes should be treated with analgesics and adequate liquid intake and is critical; (2) Antibiotics for infection; (3) partial exchange transfusion for acute chest syndrome;(4) potentially partial exchange transfusions or surgery for neurological events, such as strokes, dialysis, or kidney transplant for kidney disease; (5) irrigation or surgery for priapism, (6) surgery for eye problems; (7) hip replacement for avascular necrosis of the hip ; gallbladder removal, only if there is significant gallstone disease;(8) wound care, zinc oxide, or surgery for leg ulcers;(9) drug rehabilitation and counseling for the psychosocial complications(Medline Plus, Medical Encyclopedia, 2003). Now with aggressive treatments, victims’ lives are prolonged and improving its quality; and with the research a cure may be possible.

If both copies of the hemoglobin gene carry instructions to make sickle hemoglobin then this will be the only type of hemoglobin they can make and sickle cells can occur. These people have Sickle Cell Anemia and can suffer from anemia and severe pain; commonly called Crises.

According to a published article in The New England Journal of Medicine (1994), a study was conducted to determine the life expectancy and risk factors for early death among

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