As mentioned before, Sickle Cell disease is caused by abnormal haemoglobin in the red blood cells. This abnormal variety is called haemoglobin S. It makes the cells fragile and easily destroyed, which can cause chronic anaemia. The abnormal cells are also unable to pass through small blood vessels and this causes blockages of the blood supply to various organs. This is when Sickle Cell crisis occurs. Repeated Sickle Cell crisis can lead to damage of the kidneys, lungs, bone, liver, and central nervous system. ...

The symptoms usually begin to appear between the ages of 4 and 6 months. There is usually a family history of Sickle Cell disease. It can cause : Fatigue Headaches Shortness of breath on exertion Pallor Jaundice Rapid heart rate Delayed growth and puberty Joint and bone pain Excessive thirst Vomiting And decreased fertility Sickle Cell crises can be brought on by an infection, cold weather, or dehydration, but they may also occur with no apparent reason. The crises can start suddenley and attack or damage various parts of the body. It may also lead to pains, especially in the bones, or damage the lungs or intestines. The brain may also be affected, leading to seizures, a stroke and in some cases unconsciousness. In some children, the spleen can enlarge and trap red blood cells at a very large rate and this causes a very severe form of anaemia. Then from adolescence onwards the spleen can shrivel and cease to function. The people affected by this are at a higher risk of developing septicaemia. Children with Sickle Cell disease run a higher risk of getting pneumonia. ...

Sickle Cell Trait is when a person receives at birth from both parents, a gene for normal hemoglobin (A) and a gene for sickle hemoglobin (S). This is what is called Sickle Cell Trait (AS). Sickle Cell Trait is not a disease. People with Sickle Cell Trait will never get Sickle Cell Disease. Individuals with Sickle Cell Trait are healthy, live normal life spans and are usually not aware that they have it unless they have a special blood test. However, they are at risk for having children with Sickle Cell Anemia, which is a disease. The trait will not turn into the disease or vice versa. The decision to have children is a very personal one, which only the couple can make. If both parents have Sickle Cell Trait, for each pregnancy, there is: 25% chance the child will have normal hemoglobin. 50% chance the child will have Sickle Cell Trait, a combination of one normal hemoglobin gene and one sickle hemoglobin gene. 25% chance the child will have Sickle Cell Anemia, inheriting a sickle hemoglobin gene from both parents. About one of 12 Blacks in the United States has Sickle Cell Trait, In the U.K. about 1 in 100 black people of West African origin and 1 in 200 of West Indian origin suffer from Sickle Cell Disease. Around 1 in 10 black people has Sickle Cell trait. The overall incidence is about 8 out of 100 000 people, Sickle Cell Trait, Sickle Cell Disease and other hemoglobin variants have been found in descendants of Americans, Africans, Hispanics, Italians, Caribbeans, Greeks, other racial and ethnic groups from the Mediterranean Sea area, India, Asia, Arabs, and Southern Europe. Persons who have Sickle Cell Trait should be aware of the following: They are advised against flying in unpressurized aircraft at an altitude above 8,000 feet. They are advised against going deep-sea diving or high mountain climbing, due to the possibility of sickling of the red blood cells. If ...