what is sickle cell anemia prognosis?
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People who have sickle cell disease have a reduced life expectancy. Some people with the disease can remain without symptoms for years, while others do not survive beyond infancy or early childhood. New treatments for SCD are improving life expectancy and quality of life.
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Treatment. Management of sickle cell anemia is usually aimed at avoiding pain episodes, relieving symptoms and preventing complications. Treatments might include medications and blood transfusions. For some children and teenagers, a stem cell transplant might cure the disease.
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People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal hemoglobin type. These red blood cells are stiff, distorted in shape (like a sickle) and sometimes block small blood vessels.
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A published case study reports that patients with mildly symptomatic sickle cell disease (SCD) can exceed the U.S. median life expectancy of 47 years for patients with the disease if it is managed properly.
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Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disease that affects red blood cells with an abnormal version of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. The altered hemoglobin is known as hemoglobin S, or sickle hemoglobin, because it causes normally oval-shaped red blood cells to assume a sickle shape.
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Key points. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder marked by defective hemoglobin. It inhibits the ability of hemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen. Sickle cells tend to stick together, blocking small blood vessels causing painful and damaging complications.
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A sickle cell test is a simple blood test used to determine if you have sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait. People with SCD have red blood cells (RBCs) that are abnormally shaped. Sickle cells are shaped like a crescent moon.
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People with sickle cell anemia can develop high blood pressure in their lungs. This complication usually affects adults. Shortness of breath and fatigue are common symptoms of this condition, which can be fatal. Organ damage.
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Sickle cell anemia is a common and disabling disorder profoundly affecting mortality as well as quality of life. Up to 35% of men with sickle cell disease are affected by painful, prolonged erections termed ischemic priapism. A priapic episode may result in fibrosis and permanent erectile dysfunction.
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A sickle cell test is a simple blood test used to determine if you have sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait. People with SCD have red blood cells (RBCs) that are abnormally shaped. Sickle cells are shaped like a crescent moon. Normal RBCs look like doughnuts.
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Sickle cells that block blood flow to organs deprive the affected organs of blood and oxygen. In sickle cell anemia, blood is also chronically low in oxygen. This lack of oxygen-rich blood can damage nerves and organs, including your kidneys, liver and spleen, and can be fatal. Blindness.
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Sickle cell anemia is a genetic condition that has an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means that the condition isn't linked to the sex chromosomes. Someone must receive two copies of a recessive allele in order to have the condition.
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A sickle cell test looks only for the presence of hemoglobin S, which causes SCD. A negative test is normal. It means your hemoglobin is normal. A positive test result may mean you have sickle cell trait or SCD.
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How do you prepare for a sickle cell test? No preparation is required for the sickle cell test. However, receiving a sickle cell test within 90 days after a blood transfusion may lead to inaccurate test results. Transfusion can reduce the amount of hemoglobin S — the protein that causes SCD — in the blood.
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Abnormal versions of beta-globin can distort red blood cells into a sickle shape. The sickle-shaped red blood cells die prematurely, which can lead to anemia. Sometimes the inflexible, sickle-shaped cells get stuck in small blood vessels and can cause serious medical complications.
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Inheritance of sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive disease, meaning that it only occurs if both the maternal and paternal copies of the HBB gene are defective.
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['Anemia. Sickle cells break apart easily and die, leaving you with too few red blood cells. ... ', 'Episodes of pain. ... ', 'Swelling of hands and feet. ... ', 'Frequent infections. ... ', 'Delayed growth or puberty. ... ', 'Vision problems.']