What is Sickle Cell Anemia?
Sickle cell is a disease that affects the hemoglobin levels in red blood cells (RBCs). It is the most common genetic disease, currently affecting between 70,000-80,000 Americans.
Sickle cell is passed on to a child who has at least one parent with the mutated gene, so it is impossible to physically contract it from somebody who has it.
Normal RBCs are in the shape of a doughnut and pass through the bloodstream without any difficulty. Red blood cells that are infected with sickle cell, however, are in a crescent shape and will break apart and clog while traveling through the bloodstream.
This is due to the carrier having abnormal hemoglobin levels, called hemoglobin S (healthy hemoglobin levels are called hemoglobin A). This is problematic because this clogging restricts the flow of oxygen to important organs in the body, including the kidneys, liver, and brain.
Healthy red blood cells have a life of 120 days, whereas irregular cells only live for 10 to 20 days. The body is not producing enough RBCs to keep the blood healthy and oxygen-rich, therefore causing health complications, like anemia.