🩸 Sickle Cell Awareness Month 🩸

 

Like I always start off, this is a month that is dear to me but before we go into that, let me just explain to everyone just exactly what is Sickle Cell Disease, who it affects and why is it so important that we try to help to find some kind of solution or cure.

What is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a condition that affects people around the world. Due to the serious health problems associated with SCD there is a need to know more about the disease.

Among those with SCD, their red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a "sickle". The sickle-shaped cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. When a person doesn't have enough red blood cells, they have a condition called anemia. Also, when these misshaped blood cells travel through small blood vessels, they can get stuck and clog the blood flow. Whenever this happens, it results in severe pain and organ damage and can cause serious infections.

People with SCD can live productive lives and enjoy most of the activities that people without SCD do. These are some things that people with SCD can do to stay as healthy as possible:

• Get regular checkups ~ Regular health checkups with a primary care doctor can help prevent some serious problems.

• Prevent infections ~ Common illnesses, like influenza quickly can become dangerous for a child with SCD. The best defense is to take simple steps to help prevent infections.

• Learn healthy habits ~ People with SCD should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day and eat healthy food. They also should try not to get too hot, too cold, or too tired.

• Look for clinical studies ~ New clinical research studies are happening all the time to find better treatments and, hopefully, a cure for SCD. People who take part in these studies might have access to new medicines and treatments.

• Get support ~ People with SCD should find a patient support group or other organization in the community that can provide information, assistance, and support.

However, there are also stages to this disease and those with the more severe stage find it hard to participate in everyday lives because going through a Sickle Cell "Crisis" also causes organ damage and this also affects the person's quality of life.

How do you get it?

People who inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene have sickle cell trait (SCT). People with SCT usually do not have any of the symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD), but they can pass the trait on to their children.

SCT is diagnosed with a simple blood test. People at risk of having SCT can talk with a doctor or health clinic about getting this test.

How Sickle Cell Trait is Inherited

• If both parents have SCT, there is a 50% (or 1 in 2) chance that any child of theirs also will have SCT, if the child inherits the sickle cell gene from one of the parents. Such children will not have symptoms of SCD, but they can pass SCT on to their children.

• If both parents have SCT, there is a 25% (or 1 in 4) chance that any child of theirs will have SCD. There is the same 25% (or 1 in 4) chance that the child will not have SCD or SCT.

-- Know your body especially before having children. Although I do not have the disease, I deal with this on a very regular basis due to someone in my family. This disease is lethal and very painful. It causes organ damage and failure and leads to death. I am being blunt because it's just that serious. 

If you know someone in your life with the disease then you understand what I am saying.

Every year, Eta Sigma Delta does their annual Greek Homecoming which is a set of week-long events, while this is fun it is also to serve a very important cause, Sickle Cell Awareness. This year we did something a little different and spread it out to a month-long set of events. We raise money to donate in the hopes of one day they will find more effective ways to help our loved ones. Help in the cause... This year those events will be held from September 2nd until September 30th.

Signing off
Cassie D. Shaw MD
                       aka
                           Big Sister On Point