How does sickle cell anemia kill you

Treatments used in sickle cell disease include;. Sickle cell disease can increase the risk of certain complications during pregnancy such as blood clots , so you will need to have close prenatal care so that issues can be prevented, detected, and treated.

As research is advancing in the treatment of sickle cell disease, new treatment options such s gene therapy may emerge.

Sickle cell disease can have a major impact on your life. A sickle cell crisis can be unpredictable, and you may need urgent treatment. With medical treatment, you can achieve a good outcome and avoid long term consequences of disease complications. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Beyond the definitions of the phenotypic complications of sickle cell disease: an update on management [published correction appears in ScientificWorldJournal.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published October 21, Serjeant GR. The natural history of sickle cell disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. Published Oct 1. Gardner RV. Sickle Cell Disease: Advances in Treatment. Ochsner J. Borhade MB. Sickle Cell Crisis. StatPearls [Internet]. Published June 11, Ilesanmi OO.

Pathological basis of symptoms and crises in sickle cell disorder: implications for counseling and psychotherapy. Hematol Rep. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis. Published Jul 1. Severe anemia. Proc Bayl Univ Med Cent. Njeze GE. Niger J Surg. Management of priapism in adult men. Int Surg. Acute chest syndrome: sickle cell disease. Eur J Haematol. Scott AW. People with kidney failure also might experience iron deficiency as a result of blood loss that occurs during hemodialysis.

Certain types of cancer can prompt the release of inflammatory cytokines, which interfere with erythropoietin production and creation of red blood cells by the bone marrow. These cancers include:. Cancer also can harm red blood cell production if it invades the bone marrow.

Moreover, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy can lead to anemia of chronic disease if they damage the bone marrow. In order to determine if you have anemia, your doctor will most likely talk to you about your medical and family history, give you a physical exam, and perform the following tests: 1.

Doctors may have different target numbers, but normal adult hematocrit values tend to range from 40 percent to 52 percent for men and 35 percent to 47 percent for women. Target adult hemoglobin values are generally 14 to 18 grams per deciliter for men and 12 to 16 grams per deciliter for women.

Most people with iron-deficiency anemia will recover fully. But if the condition is not corrected, and chronic iron deficiency persists until the red cell count and hemoglobin levels get extremely low, it can be fatal. While prognosis varies from person to person, the condition can be short-lived for those who develop aplastic anemia because of medications, pregnancy, low-dose radiation or infectious mononucleosis. The condition can be life-threatening if it's severe and lasts a long time or if treatments are not effective.

For those who do not recover, they may receive a bone marrow transplant from a sibling or other matched donor; their prognosis is better than for those who receive a transplant from a donor unrelated to them. And the prognosis is increasingly reported to be favorable. For older patients with acquired aplastic anemia, when immunosuppressive therapy is the only option, about 50 percent of people will respond well to it.

People with aplastic anemia are at higher than average risk of developing leukemia. While there is no cure for sickle cell anemia, treatments can help with pain management and with preventing complications.

Improved treatments have given a better outlet for people with sickle cell anemia. As little as 40 years ago, almost 15 percent of children born with sickle cell anemia died before age 2, and many more died as teens, according to the NHLBI.

Pernicious anemia, once it manifests, will require treatment for the duration of one's life, yet treatment is well tolerated and the disorder should not cause significant hardship. In some studies, they have shown having pernicious anemia increases the chances of developing stomach cancer. If the underlying condition that is causing anemia of chronic disease gets treated, the condition can resolve as a result.

Iron supplements prescribed by your physician or hematologist taken orally can work within 3 to 10 days to increase the body's production of red blood cells; however, it typically takes months to bring iron levels back to normal.

When aplastic anemia is caused by radiation, chemotherapy, and other drugs, the condition tends to subside once treatments stop. For women who develop aplastic anemia when pregnant, the condition usually improves once they're no longer pregnant. Having sickle cell anemia means having a lifelong condition because a blood and bone marrow transplant are the only cure, and a small percentage of people with the disease actually get the transplant. While pernicious anemia is a lifelong condition, treatment can help people feel well and live normal lives.

In most cases, early diagnosis and treatment can help reverse complications of pernicious anemia, such as nerve damage. When the underlying condition that is causing anemia of chronic disease is treated, the condition tends to go away.

Learn More About Anemia Treatments. While there's no known prevention for aplastic anemia, staying clear of insecticides, herbicides, organic solvents, paint removers, and other toxic chemicals may lower your risk. While pernicious anemia caused by a lack of intrinsic factor is not preventable, those who develop the disease because they lack B12 in their diet can potentially reduce the impact by eating foods high in B12, such as beef, eggs, fortified cereal, and more, yet ultimately they are likely to need high-dose B12 supplementation or injections under their doctors' guidance.

Anemia affects 1. Children who are preschool age are greatly affected. Nonpregnant women have the greatest prevalence, while men experience the lowest occurrences.

As the most common blood condition in the United States, anemia affects three million Americans. In some cases, B12 deficiency can be caused by conditions such as infections, surgery, medicines, and diet. Crohn's and celiac disease can also interfere with B12 absorption.

Anemia of chronic disease can be caused by inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis , Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, diabetes, and degenerative joint disease. Infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis , tuberculosis, heart infection, and bone infection, can also lead to anemia of chronic disease.

Additionally, kidney failure and cancers, such as Hodgkin disease, non- Hodgkin lymphoma , and lung and breast cancer, can cause anemia. Sometimes getting the right amount of iron from your diet isn't enough if your body isn't able to absorb it properly.

For instance, people who've had intestinal surgery, such as gastric bypass, or those with Crohn's disease or celiac disease , may have trouble absorbing iron. Iron absorption can also be limited by prescription medicines that reduce acid in the stomach.

Blood loss is another cause of iron deficiency anemia because whenever you lose blood from your body, iron loss also occurs. If you don't have enough iron stored in your body to make up for the iron lost in your blood, you can develop anemia.

Blood loss that leads to low iron levels can result from: 10 , Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia vary depending on how severe your anemia is.

If you have mild to moderate iron-deficiency anemia, you may not have any signs or symptoms. But as the condition worsens, you may experience: If you're mildly anemic, your doctor may recommend a diet filled with iron-rich foods. The foods with the highest iron content are:. Take note that iron from vegetable sources is less readily absorbed than iron from meat, poultry, or seafood. With all forms of anemia, tiredness or fatigue is the most common symptom because of low red blood cell count.

Shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale or yellowish skin, and chest pain are other signs. When you have low red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood through your body.

When this occurs, you can experience irregular heartbeat, enlarged heart, or even heart failure. That's a way to put healthy blood cells right into a kid's body. In some cases, a bone marrow transplant can cure sickle cell disease.

Bone marrow transplants replace the sickle cells with healthy cells from someone else. They are risky and not right for everyone, so scientists are working on finding other ways to cure sickle cell disease.

Having sickle cell disease can be frustrating and sometimes painful. To help manage sickle cell disease:. Reviewed by: Robin E. Miller, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Sickle Cell Disease? To help manage sickle cell disease: Take the medicines as your doctor says. What are common types of sickle cell disease? The most common types of sickle cell disease are: Hemoglobin Hb SS or sickle cell anemia. This is usually the most severe type of sickle cell disease, when you inherit two HbS genes, one from each parent.

Severe means that problems can happen more often and be more serious. Hemoglobin Hb SC disease. Less severe means that it may lead to fewer problems or that problems may show up later in life compared with more severe types of the disease. People with HbS beta thalassemia inherit one hemoglobin S gene and one gene for beta thalassemia, another type of anemia.

Anemia is when you have low numbers of red blood cells. What is the difference between sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease? Who gets sickle cell disease? How does sickle cell disease affect women? In addition to the major complications of sickle cell disease, if you are a woman with sickle cell disease, you may also have: Delayed puberty 18 More pain crises during the years you have your period and before and during your period 18 Increased sickle cell disease complications during pregnancy 19 Problems during pregnancy for you and for your baby 20 Problems getting pregnant due to sickle cell disease treatments 21 Pain during sex What are the symptoms of sickle cell disease?

When should I go to the hospital for my sickle cell disease symptoms? People with sickle cell disease should go to the hospital for: A pain crisis also called a pain episode that cannot be treated with over-the-counter pain medicines or your own prescription pain medicine A fever over degrees Fahrenheit 9 Stroke symptoms, such as: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of the body Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding Trouble seeing in one or both eyes Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination Severe headache with no known cause Problems breathing Signs that the spleen, an organ near the stomach, is getting bigger when sickle cells get trapped in the spleen.

This is a medical emergency if it causes anemia, or not enough red blood cells in your body. A spleen that is larger than normal can cause pain in the left side of your stomach. Sudden loss of vision Symptoms of severe anemia, such as shortness of breath, feeling very tired or dizzy, or having very pale skin compared with normal. How is sickle cell disease diagnosed?

These tests may include: Blood tests. Your doctor may do a complete blood test to screen for anemia. To identify the type of hemoglobin that is in your blood, your doctor will do a high performance liquid chromatography HPLC or hemoglobin electrophoresis test.

The genetic test confirms the results of the HPLC or hemoglobin electrophoresis test. With this information, your doctor will be able to tell whether you have the two genes for sickle cell disease or a different abnormal hemoglobin gene. What medicines treat sickle cell disease? Medicines for sickle cell disease include: Hydroxyurea. The most commonly used medicine for sickle cell disease is a prescription medicine you take every day, called hydroxyurea.

Hydroxyurea may help prevent problems from sickle cell disease, such as pain crises, stroke, and acute chest syndrome. Experts recommend that children with sickle cell disease over 9 months old and all adults who have severe sickle cell disease take hydroxyurea, unless there is a medical reason they should not take it. Most people do not have any serious side effects from the medicine.

Hydroxyurea may lower the number of white blood cells and platelets in your body, which is usually higher in people with sickle cell disease and may cause pain crises. White blood cells help you fight infections. Platelets help your blood clot when you get a cut or other injury. The long-term effects of this medicine are still unknown. Pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant, should not take hydroxyurea.

In , the Food and Drug Administration FDA approved a new prescription medicine called L-glutamine for anyone over age 5 with sickle cell disease. It may help prevent sickle cell crises, which include pain crises and acute chest syndrome. Pain medicines. Most people with sickle cell disease use over-the-counter pain medicine to relieve pain along with other at-home pain treatments, such as warm baths, relaxation training, or distracting activities. Sometimes these treatments are not strong enough.

You may need stronger opioid pain medicine from your doctor or a hospital. Talk to your doctor or nurse about a pain management plan so that you know how best to treat pain when a pain crisis happens. People with sickle cell disease are more likely to get infections, and the infections are more likely to be serious. A doctor or nurse will usually treat an infection with antibiotics.

Many children 5 and older and adults with sickle cell disease do not need to take penicillin every day. Talk to your sickle cell disease doctor about your medical history and if you need to take penicillin every day. What medical procedures treat sickle cell disease? Blood transfusions. You may get a red blood cell transfusion if you have sickle cell disease complications or health problems caused by sickle cell disease, such as anemia, acute chest syndrome, or stroke.

Some people with sickle cell disease who had a stroke in the past may need regular blood transfusions to help prevent another stroke. But blood transfusions can lead to dangerously high iron levels in the blood that can damage the heart and lungs. If this happens, you may need a medicine called iron chelation therapy to lower the iron levels in your blood.

What are the major complications of sickle cell disease? Serious complications include: Pain. This condition happens when sickle cells block blood flow and oxygen to the lungs, causing damage to the lungs. Symptoms of acute chest syndrome are chest pain, fast or difficult breathing, fever, or a cough. This condition is a medical emergency. Adults with sickle cell disease are more likely to have high blood pressure in the lungs called pulmonary hypertension.

Sickle cells can block blood vessels in the brain, cutting off oxygen and causing a stroke. In people without sickle cell disease, stroke is much more common in older people. But people with sickle cell disease are at high risk of stroke starting in early childhood and continuing through older ages. Signs of a stroke include: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of the body Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding Trouble seeing in one or both eyes Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination Severe headache with no known cause Some specialists do not recommend combination hormonal birth control containing a combination of two different hormones for women with sickle cell disease, because it adds to your higher risk of stroke.

Other complications include: Kidney problems, such as damage to kidneys. Many people with sickle cell disease urinate more often because the kidneys cannot remove as much water from the urine as normal.

As a result, people with sickle cell disease have more urine than normal and may experience bed-wetting or urinary incontinence. Urinating often can also make someone with sickle cell disease more likely to become dehydrated, which can trigger a sickle cell crisis.

Gallstones affect about half of women who have sickle cell disease. Gallstones can also lead to serious infections in the gallbladder and pancreas. Bone and joint problems. Acute or sudden, sharp pain or inflammation redness, swelling, and pain can happen from infection or lack of blood flow within bones. Heart failure 35 and abnormal heart rhythms 6 Eye problems. Sickle cell disease can damage the blood vessels in your eye, causing vision problems or loss.

A rare, but severe, kind of liver damage can happen when sickle cells block blood vessels in the liver. The liver filters toxins from the blood, so liver damage can be a serious health problem. People with sickle cell disease who have had many blood transfusions can also get liver damage caused by high levels of iron in their blood. What triggers sickle cell pain? Having sickle cell disease can be stressful, in addition to everyday stressors.

Learn ways to manage stress. How can I manage pain from sickle cell disease? You can take steps to manage different kinds of sickle cell disease pain. Mild to moderate pain. You can treat mild or moderate sickle cell pain at home with over-the-counter pain relievers. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have ongoing pain 3 or more days a week. Researchers think that some acute or sudden and intense sickle cell pain may make your nerves overly sensitive to pain in the future.

Overly sensitive nerves may cause chronic sickle cell pain. Chronic pain can get in the way of everyday activities like going to work or school. Chronic pain can also make mental health conditions like anxiety and depression worse. Each person has different needs for pain management, including different doses of medicine that work for them. How can a pain management plan help me with my sickle cell disease? How can I stay well with sickle cell disease?

Follow these tips to manage your sickle cell disease: 41 Find a doctor who specializes in sickle cell disease. You will probably need to see a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in blood diseases. You may have other types of doctors who treat certain complications from organ damage, such as a nephrologist for kidney problems.

Some places in the United States have special centers at hospitals or doctors' offices for people with sickle cell disease. At a special center, you might be able to see different types of doctors in one location, or the center might be open later, to help treat a pain crisis.

Get an annual checkup. Your doctor or nurse can help you coordinate health care among different specialists or locations. An annual checkup can help you keep track of other health conditions or concerns. Prevent infections. Infections can cause complications from sickle cell disease, so it is important to get all of the vaccines your doctor or nurse recommends.

Try to have healthy habits. Staying hydrated is very important. Try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. Choose healthy foods and get regular physical activity, while being careful not to overdo it.

Take care not to get too hot or too cold. Get enough sleep. Do not smoke. Get support. Your mental and emotional health are important. Find a support system. Support can come from friends and family or patient groups and community organizations. Talk to a professional counselor or therapist if you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed.

How does sickle cell disease affect the menstrual cycle? Delayed puberty. Girls who have sickle cell anemia may get their period about 2 years later than girls who do not have sickle cell anemia, while those with milder types of sickle cell disease may have less of a delay.