Single Sickle Cell
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Single Sickle Cell
Single Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited blood disease. This means that the individual is born with it and it never goes away, it basically lasts a lifetime. The disease doesn't die out; it is an inheritance that will be passed on from generation to generation.
There is no universal cure for this disease, however there is a treatment. Having a bone marrow transplant offers a cure, but very few patients have matched donors. Single Sickle Cell can also be called Anemia- Sickle Cell or Hemoglobin SS Disease (HbSS)
. A blood test can determine whether someone has Sickle Cell Anemia or carry the Sickle Cell trait. Which means that they do not have the disease, but they are carriers of the disease. They must be very careful and have blood tests taken when deciding to have children. When both parents have the Sickle Cell trait there is a 25% to 50% chance that their child will have Sickle Cell Anemia. Persons with Sickle Cell trait:
· Generally have or feel no symptoms
· Have a normal daily life
· The Sickle Cell gene can be passed on to their children
An abnormal type of hemoglobin causes single Sickle Cell. The hemoglobin is defective. Therefore, after hemoglobin molecules give up their oxygen, some may cluster together and form long abnormal structures that are rod- like shaped. These structures cause red blood cells to become stiff.
Normal red blood cells flow smoothly through the vessels and are round in shape. Unlike, normal cells, the sickle shaped cells do not flow smoothly through vessels. They tend to get stuck and cannot squeeze through the blood vessels. Instead they stack up and cause blockage, this not giving the body organs and tissues enough of oxygen carrying blood.
This process also causes a great deal of pain and other serious problems to the...
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