Research paper
Sickle-cell anemia trait
Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease, passed to a child from two parents who have sickle cell traits during conception. The trait leads to lifelong diseases. The patients have got their red blood cells abnormally shaped like a crescent. Patients who have sickle cell anemia have blockage of their blood vessels leading to frequent painful crisis or episodes.
Children aren’t discovered to have the sickle cell anemia until after they are over four months old. Childhood symptoms, unlike in adulthood, include abrupt skin paleness, swollen hands, swollen tummy, visual and hearing problems, breathing problems, headache and slow growth rate. Children under the age of three years are susceptible to infections of bacteria, which can pose a risk to their life (Judy, 2008). The most common of such bacteria is streptococcus pneumonia leading to 15% probability of death. When sickle cells obstruct the flow of blood to the childhood patients’ spleens, they lose their spleens there they are in their later stage of childhood. Similarly, the spleen can enlarge due to upsurge in its functions, a condition that puts the child’s life on the line.
Majority of the teenagers show no sign of sickle cell anemia. Nevertheless, the development of the red blood cells may precede pain, a common sign. Conversely, teenagers may have severe effects of sickle cell anemia.. This pain may be indirectly contributed by other factors such as monthly period, taking alcohol and cold. Severe destruction of the red blood cells-leading to acute impact of sickle cell anemia-in teenagers may be linked with a short-term shutting down of the production of the red blood cells. During such severe conditions, where there are high levels on the breakdown of the red blood cells and it may lead to jaundice.
Symptoms resulting from jaundice include short breaths, high fatigue and yellow eyeballs. In some extremes, there are delayed onsets of puberty in teenagers. Unproportional thinness compared to the patients’ height is common (Anita, 1986). Adolescents with sickle cell anemia have high rates of dropping out of school and perform poorly academically. Thus, there will be a determining factor on the adolescent’s employment in future and financial stability. In cases where sickle cell anemia effects occurs in the penises of adolescents, chances are that it may lead to priapism and later when the patients are in their later stage of adolescence, it may result to impotence.
Vavaso-occulsive periods are common in adults. When these crises strike the adult patients, they may last for as little a time as hours or they could go on for weeks. Thus, there are high cases of hospitalizations in adult patients. There are chances of lose of health insurance and in some cases the pediatricians stop seeing their patients. Adults with sickle cell traits experience mental impairments. This disease can lead to the clogging of the patients’ vessels of blood, a condition that can destroy the internal organs or worse, fatal.
The disease forces adults to watch on their diets (well balanced) such as reducing their salt intake and taking on fruits and vegetables, and staying fit. The patients are forced to take frequent medications (such as folic acid, hydroxyurea and penicillin, and antibiotics and multiple vitamins) or are hospitalized. Adults suffering from this disease can also transmit it to their children thus transferring it to a new generation. Adults with this disease are susceptible to infections and stroke. Some people with this disease can live a normal life (MassGeneral Hospital for Children, 2011). However, many older adults with sickle cell trait do not live to a ripe age. Life expectancy in people suffering from sickle cell trait is low and in some cases have their lives nipped at the bud: sometimes as early as less than fifty years old.
References
Anita, H. (1986). Sickle cell disease: psychological and psychosocial issues. Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
Judy, P. (2008). Sickle Cell Anemia. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.
MassGeneral Hospital for Children, 2011. Sickle cell anemia. Retrieved on October 12, 2011 from http://www.massgeneral.org/children/adolescenthealth/articles/aa_sickle_cell_anemia.aspx