- What is it? – It is an inherited blood disorder.
- Effect
- It affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body.
- People with this disease have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
- What causes it? – The cause of Sickle cell disease is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
- Symptoms:
- Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
- Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
- Treatments – The only cure for this disease is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.
