how does sickle cell disease affect red blood cells?
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Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder marked by defective hemoglobin. It inhibits the ability of hemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen. Sickle cells tend to stick together, blocking small blood vessels causing painful and damaging complications.
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Hemoglobin SC disease is a type of sickle cell disease. People who have Hemoglobin SC disease (also called sickle-hemoglobin C disease) have red blood cells that contain both hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C. Under certain conditions, these red blood cells harden and take on a sickle (or banana) shape.
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Abnormal versions of beta-globin can distort red blood cells into a sickle shape. The sickle-shaped red blood cells die prematurely, which can lead to anemia. Sometimes the inflexible, sickle-shaped cells get stuck in small blood vessels and can cause serious medical complications.
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Hemoglobin S is sensitive to changes in the oxygen content of the red blood cell; insufficient oxygen causes the cells to assume a sickle shape, and the cells become rigid and clumped together, obstructing capillary blood flow.
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2. Introduction • Sickle cell anaemia is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped ("c"-shaped) red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are disk-shaped and move easily through your blood vessels.
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Early signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease include swelling of the hands and feet; symptoms of anemia, including fatigue, or extreme tiredness; and jaundice. Over time, sickle cell disease can lead to complications such as infections, delayed growth, and episodes of pain, called pain crises.
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Individuals with sickle cell anemia often experience sudden, intense pain throughout the body. These vaso-occlusive crises occur when sickle cells block the proper flow of blood to the extremities (i.e. arms and legs) and organs. These crises can affect any area of the body, but often involve the: Lungs.
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The disease gets its name because when you have SCD, your red blood cells look like a sickle, which is a C-shaped farm tool. Red blood cells contain a molecule called hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body.
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People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal hemoglobin type. These red blood cells are stiff, distorted in shape (like a sickle) and sometimes block small blood vessels.
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In sickle cell anemia, the abnormal hemoglobin causes red blood cells to become rigid, sticky and misshapen. Both mother and father must pass the defective form of the gene for a child to be affected. If only one parent passes the sickle cell gene to the child, that child will have the sickle cell trait.
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Key points about sickle cell disease in children They get stuck in small blood vessels and block blood flow. This blockage can cause pain and lead to infection. It can also damage a child's major organs, and cause a stroke. Newborns are checked for sickle cell disease as part of a group of screening tests.
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Many of the complications or health problems caused by sickle cell disease are caused by organ damage or inflammation. Sickle cells also die sooner than normal red blood cells. Not having enough healthy red blood cells causes anemia, which can make you feel tired or weak because there is less oxygen in your body.
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The infection stops new blood cells from being made, leading to anemia. Stroke. Sickle cells can block blood vessels in the brain, cutting off oxygen and causing a stroke. In people without sickle cell disease, stroke is much more common in older people.
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When red blood cells sickle, they break down prematurely, which can lead to anemia. Anemia can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and delayed growth and development in children. The rapid breakdown of red blood cells may also cause yellowing of the eyes and skin, which are signs of jaundice.
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Having sickle cell disease means a lifelong battle against the health problems it can cause, such as pain, infections, anemia, and stroke. But many people are able to have a very good quality of life by learning to manage the disease.
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Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. People with this disorder have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
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Key points about sickle cell disease in children Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that is present at birth. This means it is passed down through a parent's genes. With SCD, the red blood cells have an abnormal C shape. They get stuck in small blood vessels and block blood flow.