Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia is profoundly a critical type of anemia. When your body starts producing abnormally shaped red blood cells, it gives an inkling that you are suffering from sickle cell anemia. The shape of the cells become like that of a crescent or a sickle. The life span of these kinds of cells is shorter than that of the usual round red blood cells. The patients of sickle cells anemia faces a severe stuck in their blood vessels that ultimately block the blood circulation. Through this one not only feels pain but there is also an acute danger of organ damage.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Signs and Symptoms:
Symptoms of sickle cell anemia certainly vary from mild to sever. If one acquires the sickle cell anemic genes from just one parent and from the second one gets different hemoglobin genes, which are abnormal, then the symptoms are generally less severe.

Acute chest syndrome:
When the red blood cells are trapped and inflammated in the lungs, it causes the acute chest syndrome of sickle cell anemia. The signs include: [1]

• Chest pain
• Coughing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Severe fever.

Hand-foot syndrome: Another type of syndrome of sickle cell anemia is when the patient faces the painful swelling of the hands and feet and many of them bear not only fever but also a sharp restlessness. Due to cold or dehydration they feel pain in the whole body.

Remedies:
Prevention is always better than cure; hence in order to cure sickle cell anemia and stay healthy, the following guidelines can be adopted: [1]

• Consume a balanced and nutritious diet
• Shun excessive cold or heat
• Take apposite rest
• Exercise regularly

In order to check sickle cell anemia we should adopt a healthy diet and never hesitate to consult the doctor if the symptoms persist.

References:

1. James Fahner, MD, Date reviewed: June 2007, Originally penned by: Robin E. Miller, MD