Take the Sickle Cell Disease Quiz
Red blood cells are usually doughnut-shaped. In a person with sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are shaped like a C--like a sickle. Find out more about this disease by taking the following quiz, based on information from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
1. People with sickle cell anemia are born with it.
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The disease is inherited. People with sickle cell anemia inherit a sickle cell gene from each parent. People who inherit a sickle cell gene from only one parent have a condition called sickle cell trait. A person with sickle cell trait can pass on the gene to his or her children.
2. Sickle-shaped red blood cells don't move easily through blood vessels.
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Red blood cells affected by sickle cell anemia are stiff, and because of their shape, they tend to get stuck in blood vessels. Sickle-cell blood cells also clump together, blocking the flow of blood and causing pain, organ damage and infection.
3. Sickle beta-plus thalassemia is another form of sickle cell disease.
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Other forms include sickle beta-zero thalassemia and sickle-hemoglobin C disease.
4. Normal red blood cells last about 120 days, but red blood cells affected by sickle cell disease last only 60 days.
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Normal red blood cells do last about 120 days, but according to the NHLBI, sickle cells last only 10 to 20 days. The bone marrow, which makes red blood cells, can't keep up with the rate that the sickle cell blood cells die. This leads to anemia--a lower than normal number of red blood cells in the body.
5. Sickle cell disease is found worldwide. In the United States, it primarily affects African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.
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The disease occurs in about 1 in every 500 African-American babies, and in about 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American infants. About one in 12 African-Americans has sickle cell disease. More than 2 million Americans carry the trait, the NHLBI says.
6. A "sickle cell crisis" means a sudden onset of pain throughout the body.
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These crises are a common symptom of sickle cell disease. They occur when the sickle-shaped red blood cells clump together and block the flow of blood through small vessels called capillaries. The pain can range from mild to quite severe, and lasts several hours to a few days. Other common symptoms are fatigue, pale skin, jaundice, cold hands and feet, and shortness of breath--all symptoms of anemia.
7. To help prevent a sickle cell crisis, make sure you drink plenty of fluids each day.
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Dehydration may bring on a sickle cell crisis. Other preventive tips: Avoid getting really hot or really cold; don't swim in cold water. Reduce your stress, including job stress--don't take a job in which you must work long hours. Avoid flying in planes without a pressurized cabin. Get regular checkups, and call your health care provider immediately if you have a fever or difficulty breathing.
8. One complication of sickle cell disease is a damaged spleen.
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The spleen's role is to filter out abnormal red blood cells from the body and fight infection. The spleen can be damaged by the disease because it may become so clogged with sickle cells that it can't do its job. A person with sickle cell anemia may have a difficult time fighting off infection because of spleen damage. Common infections for a person with sickle cell anemia include pneumonia, influenza (the flu), meningitis and hepatitis. Other complications of sickle cell anemia include delayed puberty in children; stroke; eye problems; gallstones; and high blood pressure in the lungs.
9. A blood transfusion can cure sickle cell anemia.
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Sickle cell anemia is a lifelong disease. Although there is no cure for it, treatments are available to ease the pain and help prevent complications. Researchers are currently exploring bone marrow transplants and gene therapy as possible treatments, as well as new medications for pain relief.
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