Sickle Cell Anemia

1. Sickle Cell Anemia By Benyam Adera

2. What is it? • Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder where abnormal hemoglobin is inherited causing red blood cells to become distorted or sickled. The abnormal hemoglobin causes blood cells to break or burst, leading to a deficiency of blood cells known as anemia. • These sickled cells cause damage to organs and tissues in the body. • It is one of the most common blood cell anemias • Primarily affects African-Americans. Studies show that 50,000 African Americans in America have the most severe case of sickle anemia. Additionally, 1 in every 1,875 U.S. African Americans is diagnosed with sickle cell anemia.

3. Inheritance • In order to inherit sickle cell anemia, a child must inherit two sickle cell genes as oppose to just one. • Having only one sickle cell gene is known as the sickle trait. The sickle trait has no effect on the child as they will not experience the symptoms of sickle cell anemia nor will they have it. • This is because sickle cell anemiais inherited as a autosomal recessive condition and the sickle cell traitis inherited as a autosomal dominant trait.

4. Symptoms • Fever • Swelling of hands and feet • Pain in chest, abdomen, limbs, and joints • Nosebleeds and frequent upper respiratory infections • Fatigue and anemia • Jaundice • Leg sores • Eye Damage • Joint Pain/Arthritis • Gum Disease • Delayed puberty • Irritability • Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)

5. Population Stats in the U.S. • The number of people with Sickle Cell Disease in the U.S. is almost 100,000.