What is Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

In someone who has SCD, the hemoglobin is abnormal, which causes the red blood cells to become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a sickle. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, sickle cells get stuck and clog the blood flow. This can cause pain and other serious complications (health problems) such as infection, acute chest syndrome, and stroke. 

-From The CDC (Center for Disease Control Preventions)

What You Need To Know

SCD is inherited in the same way that people get the color of their eyes, skin, and hair. A person with SCD is born with it. People cannot catch SCD from being around a person who has it.  

It is estimated that SCD affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, mainly Blacks or African Americans. The disease occurs among about 1 of every 500 Black or African-American births and among about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births. SCD affects millions of people throughout the world and is particularly common among those whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa; regions in the Western Hemisphere (South America, the Caribbean, and Central America); Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

-From the CDC

How Sickle Cell Is Treated

Management of SCD is focused on preventing and treating pain episodes and complications. Prevention strategies include lifestyle behaviors such as maintaining adequate fluid intake and avoiding extreme temperatures and medical screenings such as transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound screenings to identify children at increased risk of stroke.

Prevention measures also include medical interventions such as vaccines to prevent infections and blood transfusions to reduce the occurrence of stroke in persons identified to be at risk. When pain crises occur, they can be managed through various clinical strategies include medication and intravenous fluids. Additionally, several medications are available that can be taken regularly to prevent or reduce the occurrence of pain crises and other complications. Bone marrow transplants and newly developed gene therapies are also potential treatment options for some patients.

-From the CDC