What Is Sickle Cell Disease?

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

First things first, you are not alone.

Sickle cell disease is one of the most common inherited blood disorders in the world, affecting millions of people globally. If you or someone you love has just been diagnosed, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed. That is exactly why Heme Labs exists: to help you understand what is happening in your body, in plain language, at your own pace.

So what exactly is sickle cell disease?

To understand sickle cell disease, we first need to talk about red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen from your lungs to every part of your body. In a healthy body, red blood cells are round and flexible, like a donut without a hole. They move easily through your blood vessels and do their job smoothly.

In sickle cell disease, red blood cells are shaped differently. Instead of being round and flexible, they become hard and shaped like a crescent or a sickle, like the letter C. This happens because of a change in a protein inside red blood cells called hemoglobin.

Why does the shape matter?

The shape matters a lot. Round, flexible cells glide through blood vessels easily. Sickle shaped cells are stiff and sticky. They can get stuck in blood vessels, clump together, and block blood flow. When blood flow is blocked, oxygen cannot reach parts of your body, and that is what causes pain and other complications.

Sickle cells also break down much faster than normal red blood cells. Normal red blood cells live for about 120 days. Sickle cells only live for 10 to 20 days. Your body cannot make new red blood cells fast enough to replace them, which can lead to anemia, a condition where your body does not have enough healthy red blood cells.

How did I get sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is inherited, which means it is passed down through your family. You are born with it and it is not something you can catch from another person. It is caused by inheriting a changed gene from both of your parents.

Think of it this way: everyone inherits two copies of the hemoglobin gene, one from each parent. If both copies are the sickle cell gene, you have sickle cell disease. If only one copy is the sickle cell gene, you have sickle cell trait, which is different and usually does not cause symptoms, but can be passed on to your children.

Who does sickle cell disease affect?

Sickle cell disease affects people of all backgrounds, but it is most common in people whose families come from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and South Asia. In the United States, it affects approximately 100,000 people, most of whom are Black or African American.

What does this mean for you?

Being diagnosed with sickle cell disease is life changing, but it does not define your limits. With the right knowledge, the right medical care, and the right community around you, people with sickle cell disease live full, meaningful, and powerful lives.

You are a warrior. And you just took the first step by choosing to learn.