Sickle cell disease is a group of conditions in which red blood cells are not shaped as they should be. Red blood cells normally look like round discs. But in sickle cell disease, they're shaped like sickles, or crescent moons, instead.
The sickle shaped cells cause problems because:
- They are stiff and sticky and block small blood vessels when they get stuck together. This stops blood from moving as it should, which can lead to pain and organ damage.
- They break down faster than normal red blood cells. That leads to too few red blood cells, a condition called anemia.
The two most common symptoms of sickle cell disease are pain and anemia.
The pain caused by sickle cell disease is called a pain crisis or vaso-occlusive crisis. In a pain crisis:
- Pain may happen in any part of the body.
- Cold, stress, illness, or dehydration can bring on pain but often there is not an obvious trigger.
- The pain may last a few hours, a few days, or sometimes longer.
Sometimes pain can be managed at home. But someone with severe pain might need treatment in a hospital.
Signs of anemia include:
- paleness, often seen in the skin, lips, or nailbeds
- tiredness
- dizziness
- being short of breath
- feeling lightheaded
- being irritable
- trouble paying attention
- a fast heartbeat
People with sickle cell anemia may have jaundice (skin and whites of the eyes look yellow). This happens because the sickle-shaped red blood cells break down faster than normal cells.
