Thread by @WRNHealth

Today, 19th June is World Sickle Cell Day – a day of raising awareness!

#WorldSickleCellDay is the @UN's recognised day to raise awareness of sickle cell at a national and international level. On 22nd December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly...

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...adopted a resolution that recognises sickle cell disease as a public health problem and “one of the world’s foremost genetic diseases.” The international awareness day is observed annually with the goal to increase public knowledge and an understanding of..
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and the challenges experienced by patients and their families and caregivers.

#SickleCellDisease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA). It results in...

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...an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blood cells. This leads to a rigid, sickle-like shape under certain circumstances.
The most common SCDs are: Sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle Hemoglobin-C Disease (SC), Sickle Beta-Plus Thalassemia and...

...Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia.
Let's focus on the most common among them, Sickle Cell Anemia — causes, symptoms, treatment, and how to possibly prevent it.  

Sickle cell anemia is one of a group of disorders known as sickle cell disease.

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Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.

Normally, the flexible, round red blood cells move easily through blood vessels...

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...but In sickle cell anemia, the red blood is shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These rigid, sticky cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body.

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SCA is caused by a mutation in the gene that tells your body to make the iron-rich compound that makes blood red and enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs throughout your body (hemoglobin).

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In SCA, 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...

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.. that child will have the sickle cell trait. With one normal hemoglobin gene and one defective form of the gene.

#Symptoms of sickle cell anemia usually show up at a young age. They may appear in babies as early as 4 months old, but generally occur around the 6-month mark.

While there are multiple types of SCD, they all have similar symptoms, which vary in severity. These include:
◾excessive fatigue or irritability, from anemia.
◾fussiness, in babies.
◾bedwetting, from associated kidney problems.

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◾jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin
◾swelling and pain in hands and feet
◾frequent infections
◾pain in the chest, back, arms, or legs.

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People from regions that have endemic malaria are more likely to be carriers. This includes people from Africa, India, the Mediterranean & Saudi Arabia

There's no cure for most people with sickle cell anemia...

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...but treatments can relieve pain and help prevent complications associated with the disease.
If you carry the sickle cell trait, seeing a genetic counselor before trying to conceive can help you understand your risk of having a child with sickle cell anemia

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Genetic counselors can also explain possible treatments, preventive measures and reproductive options.
Now is the perfect time to go test & know your blood genotype.

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