The sickle cell disease is an inherited blood dysfunction. The protein that carries oxygen to different parts of the body is called hemoglobin, a red blood cell. Normally, red blood cells are meant to be round and flexible which makes their constant journey all over the body easy, but sickle cell disease makes these red blood cells take on the shape of a crescent or sickle. This new shape makes the red blood cells susceptible to breaking apart, leading to anaemia.

Anaemia is used to refer to a situation in which the capacity of the blood to transfer oxygen to various tissues in the body is reduced.

These re-shaped sickle cells don’t live longer than 20 days which is incredibly far less than the normal 120 days. Also, when the sickle cells break apart they stick to the walls of blood vessels resulting in the restriction of blood flow. At this point, sickle cell crisis is the term used to describe the severe pain that this abnormality causes.

Additional information

The sickle cell disease is a genetic abnormality. The sickle red blood cells cause the symptoms of sickle cell disease.

The disease is not contagious. It only occurs when a child inherits two sickle hemoglobin genes.

Sickle cell crisis: symptoms

Chest pain
Joint pain and arthritis
Difficulty breathing
Severe infections
Stroke
Anemia
Severe pain

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