Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body. In people afflicted with sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are rigid, sticky and shaped like crescent moons rather than rounded discs. These characteristics make sickle cells inefficient oxygen carriers. In addition, the spiky shape and stickiness of sickle cells cause them to clog up blood vessels. Inadequate blood flow causes a multitude of symptoms and complications in people with sickle cell anemia.
Anemia
Sickle cells break apart easily because of their shape and rigidity. In contrast to normal red blood cells that live for about 120 days, the fragile sickle cells survive only about 10 to 20 days, according to the Mayo Clinic, causing a constant shortage of red blood cells. Anemia causes fatigue and heightens the challenge of getting enough oxygen to the tissues. Anemia makes you feel tired and look pale.
Pain
People with sickle cell disease suffer from extraordinarily painful episodes called crises, caused by clumping of the sickle cells in small blood vessels. The clumps block normal blood flow to the tissues. The Merck Manual says that the pain often centers in long bones, joints and the abdomen.
Poor Growth
Growth requires energy, which requires well-oxygenated tissues. People with sickle cell disease often take longer to enter puberty, grow slowly and overall grow less when compared to their healthy peers, says the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This happens because their tissues simply do not have enough energy to support the growth process.
Vision Problems
The tiny blood vessels that serve the eyes can easily clog with clumps of sickle cells, leading to problems with vision. Over time, accumulated damage to the retina, the part of the eye that receives visual images, can cause blindness.
Strokes
People with sickle cell disease have a high risk of strokes. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, strokes can occur because sickle cells clump and block blood vessels in the brain, or the increased pressure causes the vessel to burst.
Organ Damage
Clumping of sickle cells and lack of oxygen causes damage to the lungs, spleen and liver. Acute chest syndrome occurs after a lung infection or when cells clump in the lungs, causing pain, fever and difficulty breathing. The episodes are life-threatening and, over time, damage the lungs and cause pulmonary hypertension, a condition in which there is high blood pressure in the lungs. According to the Mayo Clinic, about one-third of patients with sickle cell anemia will develop this complication, which causes difficulty breathing and can lead to heart failure.
Damage to the spleen erodes your ability to fight off infections. According to the Merck Manual, people with sickle cell disease are especially vulnerable to pneumonia and Salmonella (food poisoning). Liver damage causes jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites) and can lead to gallstones.
