Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

Sickle cell disease is a serious disorder in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells while normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the centre. Red blood cells contain iron-rich protein called haemoglobinHaemoglobin (Hb) is a protein, found in the red blood cells, that carries oxygen in your body and gives blood its red colour. More which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. 

Sickle cells contain abnormal haemoglobin called sickle haemoglobin which causes the cells to develop a sickle shape. Sickle cells tend to block blood flow in the body vessels of the limbs and organs. Blocked blood flow can cause pain and organ damage. 

In sickle cell anaemia, the abnormal sickle cells usually die faster than the normal red blood cells. Normal red blood cells last for four months (120 days) in the bloodstream but fragile sickle cell break down after only 10 – 20 days which causes anaemia. The bone marrow which produces red blood cells cannot make new red blood cells fast enough to replace the dying ones. 

Anaemia:

Anaemia is a condition in which the blood has a lower number of red blood cells. This condition occurs if the red blood cells do not contain enough haemoglobin. 

Anaemia is simply the shortage of red blood cells in the body. 

Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited lifelong disease. People who have it are born with it. Some people who have the disease have chronic (life-term) pain and fatigue. 

Causes of Sickle Cell Disease:

• The cause of sickle cell disease is genetic.
• There is a change in the genes which tell the body how to make haemoglobin.
• To get SCD, you need to have two altered haemoglobin genes, one from each parent.
• If you only have one of these genes, you will have sickle cell trait, which is very much milder.

Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease:

There is no cure for sickle cell disease, therefore, lifelong treatment and monitoring are needed.