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Q1: What is Sickle Cell Disease?
A1: Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disease that is passed to the child from both parents. The disease affects approximately 1 in 500 persons of African decent.
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Q2: Is Sickle Cell contagious?
A2: No. The only way to get Sickle Cell is to inherit it from your parents.
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Q3: What is a Sickle Cell pain episode?
A3: When are large number of Sickle Cells are present in the blood they tend to block the flow of blood. This causes severe pain due to the lack of oxygen, which can occur in any part of the body, causing a “pain episode”. These pain episodes may last a few hours or as long as two weeks.
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Q4: What is hemoglobin?
A4: Hemoglobin is the substance in red blood cells that enables blood to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
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Q5: What is the most common hemoglobin?
A5: The most common hemoglobin is “AA”, and it is found in the greatest majority of people. Hemoglobin “AA” is also called normal.
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Q6: Are there other types of hemoglobin?
A6: Yes. Hemoglobin “A” can combine with other hemoglobins to form “Traits”, for example: AC, AS, AE. Sickle Cell is found in about 1 of every 10 black persons.
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Q7: Who can have Sickle Cell Disease?
A7: Anyone can have Sickle Cell Disease. Blacks, whites, and persons from around the Mediterranean Sea, Italian, Turks, Greeks, Sicilians, Asians, and Hispanics.
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Q8: How do I know if I have Sickle Cell?
A8: Sickle Cell can be detected by a blood test. In 1985 Indiana made it mandatory by law for all infants to be tested for Sickle Cell at birth. Signs of the disease first appear in early infancy. The child may complain of pains in arms, legs, back, and stomach. He may also appear pale and tire easily.
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Q9: Do persons with Sickle Cell Trait experience pain episodes?
A9: Usually there are no problems associated with Sickle Cell Trait.
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Q10: Can Sickle Cell Trait develop into Sickle Cell Disease?
A10: No. The type of hemoglobin you are born with is the type you will have for the rest of your life.
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Q11: Is there a cure for Sickle Cell Disease?
A11: Research is currently being done and there have been some breakthroughs with bone marrow transplants.
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Q12: What are the chances of inheriting Sickle Cell?
A12: If one parent has Sickle Cell Trait and the other has all normal hemoglobin, for each pregnancy there is a 50 percent chance the child will have all “AA” hemoglobin and a 50 percent chance the child will have “AS” or another Sickle Cell Trait type.
If both parents have Sickle Cell Trait, for each pregnancy there is a 1 in 4 chance the child will have Sickle Cell Disease, and a 1 in 4 chance the child will have all normal hemoglobin, and a 2 in 4 chance the child will have “AS” or another Sickle Cell Trait type.
Persons with SC hemoglobin sometimes experience the same symptoms as persons with Sickle Cell anemia, although the symptoms may not be as severe. Approximately 1 out of every 1,000 black Americans has Sickle Cell-Hemoglobin C Disease.
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