The Effect of Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary disorder that is caused by the misshapen cell called hemoglobin S (HbS). The effects of sickle cell disease vary in individuals; however, their health is usually compromised.

Definition

• Sickle cell disease, also known as sickle cell anemia, is a genetic disorder characterized by faulty red blood cells. In particular, the hemoglobin part of the red blood cell is malfunctioning, which causes the blood to mutate and form sickle-shaped cells.

Cause

• Aside from hereditary reasons, the sickle cell disease may also occur when there's nutritional deficiencies that deprive the blood of vital elements, such as oxygen, to produce healthy cells. In addition, sickle cell disease may develop from injuries and diseases of organs that produce red blood cells such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow.

Good Effects

• There is no direct good effect of having a sickle cell disease. However, prospective parents with the disease will pass on the sickle cell trait, which, according to Harvard Medical School Information Center for Sickle Cell and Thalassemic Disorders, provides a survival advantage in regions where malaria is endemic over people with normal blood cells.

Bad Effects

• Individuals with sickle cell disease are prone to excruciating pain, fatigue, collapse and even death, especially under extreme conditions such as stressful and strenuous activities. In addition, an individual with sickle cell disease is vulnerable to complications and is more likely to develop infections, strokes and eye damage.

Treatment

• According to the Human Genome Project Information Center, sickle cell disease may be treated via blood transfusions, oral antibiotics, intravenous fluids, painkilling drugs, and hydroxyurea (an anticancer drug treatment).