ABC of Sickle Cell Disease

ABC of Sickle Cell Disease

ABC of Sickle Cell Disease

What Is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) & What Makes The Red Blood Cell Sickle?

Sickle Cell Disease (also called Sickle Cell Anemia) is a group of red blood cell disorders you have inherited and are born with. Sickle Cell Disease is caused by an abnormal form of Hemoglobin. This is the part of your red blood cell that carries oxygen around the body and keeps your vital organs working. In Sickle Cell Disease, the abnormal Hemoglobin (HbS) is not able to work properly. The red blood cells become stiff and block up the blood vessels in your body, causing pain and damage, and they also get destroyed quickly, leading to anemia and other complications. Currently, there is no universal cure for Sickle Cell Disease and approximately 4000 Ontarians have the disease.

There is a substance in the red cell called hemoglobin. It carries oxygen from the air in our lungs to all parts of the body including the blood cells. One little change in this substance causes the hemoglobin to form long rods in the red cells when it gives away oxygen. These rigid rods change the red cells into a sickle shape instead of the normal round shape

Normal red blood cells contain hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C are abnormal types of hemoglobin. Normal red blood cells are soft and round and can squeeze through tiny blood tubes (vessels). Normally, red blood cells live for about 120 days before new ones replace them.

People with sickle cell conditions make a different form of hemoglobin A called hemoglobin S (S stands for sickle). Red blood cells containing mostly hemoglobin S do not live as long as normal red blood cells (averagely about 16 days).

What Does Having Sickle Cell Disease Mean For Me?

It is something you will have your whole life, and need to learn how to live with it, so that you can continue living as normally as possible, with schooling, work, and family life. As it is inherited, you also need to know your partner’s sickle cell status as you could pass it onto your future children too.

Types of SCD There are several types of SCD. The most common are Sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease (SC), Sickle Beta-Plus Thalassemia, and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia.

What is Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) & What Does it Mean to Have Sickle Cell Trait?

Sickle Cell Trait (AS) is an inherited condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are produced in the red blood cells, always more A than S. Sickle cell trait is not a type of sickle cell disease. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy. A carrier has one normal and one sickle hemoglobin gene. A carrier does not have, and will not develop sickle cell disease. All races should be screened for this hemoglobin at birth.

A carrier of sickle cell disease is also said to have the sickle cell trait. This person has inherited a sickle cell gene from a parent, but does not have SCD and is not more likely to get sick than any other person. They do not need special medical care and will not develop SCD at any time in their life.

Why is it helpful to know that I am a carrier of SCD, or whether my child is a carrier? Knowing whether you or your child has the sickle cell trait is important for several reasons. When you are ready to have a family, your partner can have carrier testing so that you know, as a couple, if there is a chance of having a child with SCD. By having this information, you can let your child know if he or she is a carrier of SCD in the future.

When a Child has Sickle Cell Trait

When a child has a copy of the sickle cell gene, it is very likely that one of the parents has a copy of the sickle cell gene, or:

  • Both parents are carriers

  • One parent actually has SCD

  • One parent is a carrier and the other has SCD

If I have more children, could they have Sickle Cell Disease?
Most often when a child is a carrier of SCD, only one parent is a carrier and the chance to have a baby with SCD is very low

When both parents are carriers, each pregnancy they have has:

  • 1 in 4 (25%) chance of having SCD

  • 1 in 2 (50%) chance of being a carrier (but not having SCD)

  • 1 in 4 (25%) chance of not having SCD or being a carrier

You can have a blood test to find out if you are a carrier of SCD. If you want to have this test, talk to your healthcare provider. A carrier does not have, and will not develop sickle cell disease.

Sickle Cell Trait in Ontario:
A significant percentage of Ontarians of African descent may carry the sickle cell gene and in some cases, depending on the area of origin, the trait rate may be as high as 25%. People with SCT do not normally experience symptoms of SCD and do not need special medical care. Knowing your Sickle Cell status matters!


Location

Address: 235-415 Oakdale Rd. North York, ON M3N 1W7


Phone: GTA: 416-745-4267


Email: info@sicklecellanemia.ca

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© SCAGO - All Rights Reserved -Disclaimer - Charitable Registration #: 83332 0872 RR 0001

Location

Address: 235-415 Oakdale Rd. North York, ON M3N 1W7


Phone: GTA: 416-745-4267


Email: info@sicklecellanemia.ca

Got a Question?

Want to Support Us?

© SCAGO - All Rights Reserved -Disclaimer - Charitable Registration #: 83332 0872 RR 0001

Location

Address: 235-415 Oakdale Rd. North York, ON M3N 1W7


Phone: GTA: 416-745-4267


Email: info@sicklecellanemia.ca

Got a Question?

Want to Support Us?

© SCAGO - All Rights Reserved -Disclaimer - Charitable Registration #: 83332 0872 RR 0001