Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder where red blood cells become sickle-shaped, clogging blood vessels and limiting oxygen flow. It is most common among those with ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Saudi Arabia. The disease is inherited, with a 25% chance of being affected if both parents carry the recessive gene. Treatment focuses on preventing infections and complications to help manage the condition and improve life expectancy, now into the 40s.

1. Sickle Cell Anaemia By Alex Poythress

2. What is sickle cell disease? Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that makes cell go into a sickle shape By making them go into a sickle shape it limits their movement through the blood vessels causing the downstream tissues less oxygen This only happens in red blood cells

3. Symptoms Shortness of breath Dizziness Headache Coldness in hands and feet Pale skin Chest pains

4. Who is all affected by this disease? Mostly newborn babies 45,000-90,000 babies with sickle cell disease are born each year Life expectancy is usually 42 through 48 years old for both males and females

5. Where is it mostly found? It is mostly found in Africa and India/Saudi Arabian subcontinent, but it exist in all areas African Americans have migrated to. It was first introduced in to the Americas and the Caribbean during the Atlantic slave trade.

6. Prognosis and medicine Treatment has improved the lifespan for people with this disease into the 40’s and rising There is no common cure for sickle cell anemia but you can try to control complications, prevent infections, eye damage and stroke

7. Causes Since sickle cell disease is an inherited disease , so you can only have it if you get it from both of your parents People who have the gene can still live normal lives because the gene could be a recessive trait There is a 25% chance you can get the disease if both of your parents have a gene

8. Malik and D’Anya Lewis Malik a D’Anya have Sickle Beta + Thalassemia, a mild variation of the disease. They were fortunate that they found out their diagnosis early. There was a 25% chance that both of them would catch this disease because both parents held a gene. They both started early treatment, around 2 months old, of penicillin every other day to prevent complications and acute attacks that can happen from this disease. Now they are currently taking 2.5 mil of penicillin every other day.

10. Inheritance of the disease