Sickle Cell disease is a bunch of inherited disorders that affect hemoglobin. Red blood cells are usually disc-shaped and flexible enough to move through blood vessels. Due to a mutation, “Sickle cell” disease misshaped blood cells and made them look like sickles. Most of the time, Sickle cell disease requires lifelong treatment. Sickle cell disease has few symptoms and doesn’t require specific treatment. Anemia from sickle cell disease shouldn’t be mistaken for iron deficiency anemia. There is only one cure for sickle cell disease, which is with bone marrow or stem cell transplants. This isn’t done very often due to the significant risks. The largest risk for stem cell transplants is when the transplanted cells begin to attack other cells in your body. Chemotherapy is made for your body to make space in the bone marrow. Then, genetically modified blood cells are entered into your bone marrow which will then produce healthy cells. A few other problems for sickle cell disease can be delayed puberty, leg ulcers, and an increased risk of stroke. You may even get an increased chance of infertility. If you wish to get a transplant procedure, if you are under 16 years old you have a 1/20 chance of dying. If you’re above the age of 16 you have a 9/100 chance of dying. Even if you do get a transplant, a cure will correct all the damage that has happened to your body. If someone you know or are close to has ever been diagnosed or has symptoms of sickle cell disease, Please let them know as soon as possible.
Related Stories:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/cure-sickle-cell-initiative
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/treatment/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12100-sickle-cell-disease
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