Thursday, August 28, 2014

Efforts To Sickle Cell Disease Prevention

By Colette Foreman


Sickle cell disease is also known as sickle cell anaemia. It is a disorder in the blood and causes numerous complications. This disease is characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells. These blood cells are sickle in shape hence the name of the disease. The fact that this disease has no cure makes it one of the worst known to man. This leaves us at the analysis of the causes and sickle cell disease prevention.

Specialists of the human body anatomy and genetics attribute this deadly condition to genetic mutations. This mutation is said to occur in the haemoglobin genes and as a result the red blood cells change form. The new cells are now sickle in shape and have an acute limitation to the amount of oxygen that they can take in. This creates a deficit of oxygen in the body organs which in terms causes improper functioning.

This condition is mostly hereditary. It is passed on from parents to off springs for generations. The inheritance occurs when the parents pass on two hemoglobin genes with the sickle character to the offspring. Just like any other ailment, this condition has a number of signs and symptoms. These are usually evident right from infantry as the child is born weak and sickly.

Sickle cell anaemia is known to deny its victims the energy needed to go through an average day. The patients are generally weak and they tire very quickly. They cannot involve themselves in any intense activity due to that. Another common sign of this particular anaemia is frequent body aches. This pain is severe in nature and it is felt in no organ in particular. The chest is one of the many organs where this ache is experienced.

Another common symptom of this condition is insufficient blood supply to vital body organs. This happens when the blood veins and arteries get clogged by accumulation of these cells on the cells wall. These cells tend to collect together and stick on the walls of blood vessels. A lot of pain is experienced whenever such incidences occur. Mostly, the shut out organs are the heart, brain, spleen and others.

A number of serious body complications are known to originate from this disorder. This condition makes bacteria to pose a threat to human life. This normally is not the case but with this disorder, the body can hardly defend itself from infections. This is attributed to their generally weak immunity system. A person with sickle cell anaemia is also faced with the risk of experiencing stroke. This is quite a serious problem as the stroke expected here is a silent one.

This condition can however be managed and prevented from causing so much damage. Its treatment commences right since childhood. Sickle cell disease patients are kept under constant observation of pediatrician and haematologist. This is to ensure that they remain in good health conditions. These patients are required to take penicillin and folic for their entire life span.

Use of vaccine to prevent further attacks from other diseases is also a good option. Anti-malarial medicines are prescribed in advance to patients so as to safeguard them. Also for highly at risk patients, more advanced medications are used. Some of these medications involve changing blood and getting bone marrow donors.




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