Sickle cell anemia is a genetic and hereditary disease, prevalent in blacks, but may also manifest in whites. It is characterized by a change in red blood cells, which lose their round and elastic shape, take on the appearance of a sickle (hence the sickle cell name) and harden, making it difficult for blood to pass through small vessels and, consequently, tissue oxygenation.
The most common symptoms are:
Severe pain caused by blockage of blood flow and lack of oxygen in tissues;
Joint pains;
Intense fatigue;
Pallor and jaundice;
Delayed growth;
Leg sores;
Tendency to infections;
Gallstones;
Neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal problems;
Common symptoms of sickle cell disease include episodes of pain, delayed growth, and frequent infections. Red blood cells, as we all know, deliver oxygen to supply on different parts of the body. However, red blood cells in sickle cell disease are deprived of oxygen, which also causes deprivation of oxygen in the muscles or organs that leads to pain and fatigue. This will also cause delayed growth because red blood cells carries nutrients needed for growth. Since this disease damages organs such as spleen which protects the body from infection, it will cause frequent infections.
