According to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, 70,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from sickle-cell disease, with 1,000 babies born with the condition each year. People suffering from sickle-cell disease produce an abnormal form of hemoglobin, causing their red blood cells to become hard and pointed instead of soft and round. These cells have difficulty passing through small blood vessels, leading to a number of health problems.
Inheritance
Sickle-cell disease is a genetic disorder and is inherited in the same way as other genetic traits, such as eye color. In the case of sickle-cell disease, the child receives defective hemoglobin genes from both parents. In most instances, the parents will be carriers of the sickle-cell trait, meaning each parent carries one copy of the defective gene. If both parents have sickle-cell trait, there is a 25 percent chance that they will produce offspring with sickle-cell disease, notes MedlinePlus.
Medical Problems Caused by Sickle Cell
Sickle red blood cells are recognized by the body as abnormal and are destroyed rapidly. This leads to anemia, jaundice and gallstones. Sickle cells also block the flow of blood, causing damage to vital organs, such as the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen. Damage to the lungs causes acute chest syndrome, whereas damage to the spleen means that patients are more susceptible to infection. Patients with sickle-cell disease frequently suffer from episodes of pain and are more likely to suffer strokes.
Treatment with Folic Acid
As soon as sickle-cell disease is diagnosed, patients are administered with folic acid. Folic acid is essential for the breakdown, use and formation of new proteins, as well as DNA synthesis. These processes are essential for the formation of new cells, and folic acid supplementation alleviates the symptoms of anemia in sickle-cell patients by encouraging the formation of new red blood cells.
Other Treatments
Patients with sickle-cell disease require constant treatment to manage and control symptoms. Pain episodes are treated with pain medication and by encouraging the intake of fluids. Hydroxyurea has been used in an attempt to reduce the number of pain episodes, but this treatment does not work for some patients. Younger patients routinely receive antibiotics and vaccines to prevent bacterial infection. Other treatments include kidney dialysis and blood transfusions. Sickle-cell disease can be cured using bone marrow or stem cell transplants, but these treatments are considered high risk and are not always successful.
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