Overtime Nigeria has been listed as one of the countries that has the highest burden of sickle cell disease. According to the statistics by world health organization in 2014, at least 100,000 babies die from the disorder in Nigeria due to lack of proper awareness and funds.
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorder, It affects the shape of red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body. It results to an abnormality in the oxygen carrying protein hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Red blood cells are usually round and flexible, so they move easily through blood vessels.
In sickle cell anemia, some red blood cells are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These cells do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of your body. Sickle cells also don’t live as long as normal red blood cells. As a result, you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells and you develop anemia, the condition that gives sickle cell anemia its name. In the past, babies born with sickle cell anemia rarely lived to be adults.
Now, thanks to early detection and new treatments, about half of all people who have sickle cell anemia live into their 50s. People who have sickle cell anemia still face potentially life-threatening medical complications.
However, healthcare providers have treatments that reduce the risk of complications and ease symptoms when they happen. Unfortunately, there are many places in the world where people still don’t have access to effective medical treatment for sickle cell anemia.
Causes Of Sickle Cell.
People with sickle cell anemia inherit the disease from their biological parents. In sickle cell anemia, the gene that helps make normal red blood cells mutates or changes. People who inherit the mutated hemoglobin protein gene from both biological parents have sickle cell anemia. People who inherit the mutated gene from one biological parent have the sickle cell traits.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia usually appear around 6 months of age. They vary from person to person and may change over time. Signs and symptoms can include:
– Anemia: Sickle cells break apart easily and die. Red blood cells usually live for about 120 days before they need to be replaced. But sickle cells typically die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a shortage of red blood cells . Without enough red blood cells, the body can’t get enough oxygen and this causes fatigue.
– Episodes of pain: Periodic episodes of extreme pain, called pain crises, are a major symptom of sickle cell anemia. Pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to your chest, abdomen and joints. The pain varies in intensity and can last for a few hours to a few days. Some people have only a few pain crises a year. Others have a dozen or more a year. A severe pain crisis requires a hospital stay. Some adolescents and adults with sickle cell anemia also have chronic pain, which can result from bone and joint damage, ulcers, and other causes.
– Swelling of hands and feet: The swelling is caused by sickle-shaped red blood cells blocking blood circulation in the hands and feet.
– Frequent infections: Sickle cells can damage the spleen, increasing vulnerability to infections. Infants and children with sickle cell anemia commonly receive vaccinations and antibiotics to prevent potentially life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia.
– Delayed growth or puberty: Red blood cells provide the body with the oxygen and nutrients needed for growth. A shortage of healthy red blood cells can slow growth in infants and children and delay puberty in teenagers.
– Vision problems: Tiny blood vessels that supply the eyes can become plugged with sickle cells. This can damage the retina, the portion of the eye that processes visual images and lead to vision problems.
Treatment For Sickle Cell
One of the sure ways of treating sickle cell disease is by undergoing a process called stem cells transplantation or bone marrow transplant, the source of new red blood cells with healthy stem cells from a matching donor. This treatment is not easy to undergo because it can be difficult to find a suitable donor and the cost is quite exhorbitant.
There are other means of treatment that can help keep the illness in check;
– Rehydration with intravenous fluids: this helps red blood cells return to a normal state. The red blood cells are more likely to deform and assume the sickle shape if you’re dehydrated.
– Treating underlying or associated infections: this is an important part of managing the crisis, as the stress of an infection can result in a sickle cell crisis. An infection may also result as a complication of a crisis.
– Blood transfusions: improve transport of oxygen and nutrients as needed. Packed red cells are removed from donated blood and given to patients.
Supplemental oxygen is given through a mask. It makes breathing easier and improves oxygen levels in the blood.
– Pain medication: is used to relieve the pain during a sickle crisis. You may need over-the-counter drugs or strong prescription pain medication like morphine.
– Droxia, Hydrea: helps to increase production of fetal hemoglobin. It may reduce the number of blood transfusions.
– Immunizations can help prevent infections. Patients tend to have lower immunity.
Home Care
There are things you can do at home to help your sickle cell symptoms:
– Use heating pads for pain relief.
– Take folic acid supplements, as recommended by your doctor.
– Eat an adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat grains. Doing so can help your body make more red blood cells.
– Drink more water to reduce the chances of sickle cell crises.
– Exercise regularly and reduce stress to reduce crises, too.
– Contact your doctor immediately if you think you have any type of infection. Early treatment of an infection may prevent a full-blown crisis.
In conclusion, what can we do about this menace called sickle cell anemia? sickle cell anemia is a complex and chronic condition that requires medical management and ongoing support. Proper awareness about the disease should be made, patients should have access to the right kind of informations to the treatments and management of the disease, couples should know their genotype if they are compatible for marriage to avoid birthing sickle cell children, health sector should try and enlighten parents on how to handle children’s crisis and also provide health care centers for treatments.
– Olore Gift
Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, Kogi State.
