6 Key Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia
Healthy red blood cells are essential for a healthy body. The job of red blood cells is to carry oxygen to all the other cells in your body. However, if you suffer from sickle cell anemia, then your red blood cells aren’t doing their job properly.
Because sickle cell anemia causes your red blood cells to lose their standard circular shape, they cannot move properly through your body. This means that your cells won’t be getting the healthy dose of oxygen they need for normal functioning.
Treating Sickle Cell Anemia
You can’t catch sickle cell anemia because it’s an inherited disorder. There is no cure; however, with the right treatment plan, you can manage the symptoms of sickle cell anemia and live normally.
Here are some of the common symptoms associated with sickle cell anemia:
- Pain: You may feel pain in your joints, stomach, chest, and bones.
- Anemia: Your body does not have enough red blood cells.
- Vision issues: Clogged blood vessels in your eyes can damage your retina.
- Growth issues: Fewer red blood cells can delay growth in children.
- Infections: Frequent infections result from damage to your spleen.
- Hand-foot syndrome: This syndrome is characterized by swollen hands and feet.
How is Sickle Cell Inherited?
Because sickle cell anemia is inherited, symptoms will often appear very early on, around four months of age. Sickle cell is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning each parent carries a copy of the mutated gene, but they may not show any signs of the condition.
If you need guidance for managing this disorder, consulting with a medical professional may be helpful. Medications may be prescribed to prevent infections or to manage symptoms.
At FastMed Urgent Care, we can provide a medical consultation to help you manage symptoms or to ensure your sickle cell anemia is not causing any complications, such as organ damage or gallstones. We can prescribe medications or provide vaccinations. If you need assistance from a medical specialist, we’ll even schedule the appointment on your behalf and forward your digital medical records and test results.
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