Sickle Cell Disease

September is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month—a good opportunity to provide statistics about this deadly disease.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic disorder in which patients have deformed red blood cells (known as sickle cells). These cells die earlier than normal, healthy blood cells, causing a red blood cell deficiency.

What are the symptoms of Sickle Cell Disease?

The following are common symptoms of Sickle Cell Disease:

• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Yellow skin and/or eyes

Treatment

While Sickle Cell Disease is largely untreatable, there are a number of ways to manage the disease effectively. These include:

• Bone-marrow transplant
• Blood transfusion
• Painkillers – especially

Useful Statistics

• Sickle cell disease affects 100,000 Americans
• 1 in 12 African-Americans carry the sickle cell gene
• Sickle cell disease is an inherited form of anemia
• Both parents must have the gene in order for a child to be born with sickle cell disease
• Sickle cell disease occurs in roughly 1 out of 365 African American childbirths