Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia: Introduction

Sickle Cell Anemia: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by red blood cells which are crescent-shaped rather than the normal doughnut shape. These abnormally shaped red blood cells are unable to function normally and tend to undergo premature destruction which leads to anemia. If the genetic defect which causes the condition is inherited from both parents the condition can be quite severe whereas if it is inherited from only one parent, often there are no symptoms. The abnormally shaped red blood cells can cause problems when they clump together and block blood vessels. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Sickle Cell Anemia is available below.

Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia

• Common early symptoms (usually seen first in infants):
  • Anemia
  • Fatigue
  • Pallor
  • Shortness of breath
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 90 symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Sickle Cell Anemia:

• Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Anemia Tests
  • Home Thyroid Gland Function Tests
  • Home Adrenal Gland Function Tests
  • Home Calcium Deficiency Tests
  • Sleep Apnea Testing
  • Home HIV Tests
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Testing
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests
• Home Anemia Diagnostic Tests
• Menopause: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Menopause Tests
  • Home FSH Hormone Tests
  • Home Osteoporosis Testing
• Vaginal Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Vaginal Infection Tests
  • Home Vaginal PH Tests
  • Home Yeast Infection Tests
  • Home Candida Kits
  • Home Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Test Kits
  • Home Bladder Test Kits
• Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Adrenal Function Testing
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
• Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Breast Cancer Test Kits
  • Home Breast Lump Detection
• more tests...»

Sickle Cell Anemia: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Sickle Cell Anemia:

• Anemia
• Chronic anemia
• Painful crisis (see Pain)
• Retina damage (see Retina symptoms)
• Vision loss
• Jaundice
• Spleen damage (see Spleen symptoms)
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Sickle Cell Anemia

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Sickle Cell Anemia

• Hemoglobin electrophoresis
• Routine SCA screening of newborns
• Antenatal SCA testing
• more tests...»

Read more about tests for Sickle Cell Anemia

Wrongly Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia?

• Misdiagnosis of Sickle Cell Anemia
• Failure to diagnose Sickle Cell Anemia
• Undiagnosed: Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia: Medical Mistakes

• Women's Health Mistakes:
  • Womens Health -- Health Mistakes
  • Contraception -- Health Mistakes
  • Fertility -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Sickle Cell Anemia: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Sickle Cell Anemia:

• Mom & Baby
• Pregnancy
• Womens Health
• more product offers...»

Sickle Cell Anemia: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Women's Reproductive Health: diseases that are commonly undiagnosed:
  • Overactive Bladder Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
  • PCOS -- Undiagnosed
  • Chlamydia -- Undiagnosed
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Cervical Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Breast Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Ovarian Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Von Willebrand Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • more ...»
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Sickle Cell Anemia

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a...read more »

Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue, such as with a ...read more »

Pituitary conditions often undiagnosed cause of symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms that can be caused by a pituitary disorder (see symptoms of pituitary disorders). For example, fatigue,...read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple sclerosis). See symptoms of Vitamin B12...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Pregnancy & Fertility Health Specialists:
  • Maternal & Fetal Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
• Womens Health Specialists:
  • Gynecological Oncology
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Sickle Cell Anemia

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Sickle Cell Anemia:

• Womens Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Sickle Cell Anemia, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Sickle Cell Anemia: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Women's Reproductive Health -- rare types of diseases:
  • Overactive Bladder Syndrome -- Rare Types
  • PCOS -- Rare Types
  • Chlamydia -- Rare Types
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease -- Rare Types
  • Cervical Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Breast Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Ovarian Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Von Willebrand Disease -- Rare Types
  • more ...»
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Sickle Cell Anemia

Read more about causes of Sickle Cell Anemia.

Treatments for Sickle Cell Anemia

• Preventive antibiotics
• Preventive penicillin - especially for newborns, infants and children with SCA.
• Pain crisis treatments
  • Pain-killing drugs
  • Fluids
• more treatments...»

See full list of 18 treatments for Sickle Cell Anemia

News Archives for Sickle Cell Anemia

Medical news articles related to Sickle Cell Anemia include:

• New Kind of Stem Cells Reverse Sickle Cell Anemia
• Health Tip: Living With Sickle Cell Disease
• Tailored Treatments Effective for Depression Due to Pain
• Screening Lowers Stroke Risk for Sickle Cell Kids
• Chronically Ill U.S. Patients Often Skip Care Due to Costs
• Anemia Drugs Linked to Stroke Study Deaths: FDA
• New Test Diagnoses Anemia in Chronic Disease
• Sickle Cell Drug Underused by Physicians
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Sickle Cell Anemia

Medical research articles related to Sickle Cell Anemia include:

• Antibiotics for treating acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease
• Antibiotics for treating osteomyelitis in people with sickle cell disease
• Splenectomy versus conservative management for acute sequestration crises in people with sickle cell disease
• Pneumococcal vaccines for sickle cell disease
• Sickle cell disease
• Hydroxyurea for sickle cell disease
• Prophylactic antibiotics for preventing pneumococcal infection in children with sickle cell disease
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Sickle Cell Anemia

Patient Surveys for Sickle Cell Anemia

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Sickle Cell Anemia
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Sickle Cell Anemia

Prognosis for Sickle Cell Anemia: There is no cure for the condition though bone marrow transplants can significantly help a small number of people. People with the condition tend to have a shorter life span but careful management of symptoms and complications can improve the quality of life and increase the life span. Some people can survive past the age of 50 if they manage their condition carefully.

More about prognosis of Sickle Cell Anemia

Reseach about Sickle Cell Anemia

Visit our research pages for current research about Sickle Cell Anemia treatments.

Clinical Trials for Sickle Cell Anemia

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Sickle Cell Anemia include:

• A Study of the Efficacy and Safety of ICA-17043 (With or Without Hydroxyurea) in Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia. - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - ICA-17043
• A Study Evaluating the Long-Term Safety of ICA-17043 in Sickle Cell Disease Patients With or Without Hydroxyurea Therapy - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - ICA-17043
• Nitric Oxide Inhalation to Treat Sickle Cell Pain Crises - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Nitric Oxide,INO Pulse/NO Delivery System
• Trial of Oral Glutamine in Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Glutamine
• Use of Hydroxyurea and Magnesium Pidolate for Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Magnesium Pidolate, Hydroxyurea
• more trials...»

See full list of 96 Clinical Trials for Sickle Cell Anemia

Statistics for Sickle Cell Anemia

• Medical statistics for Sickle Cell Anemia
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Sickle Cell Anemia
• Death and Mortality statistics for Sickle Cell Anemia
• Society statistics for Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia: Broader Related Topics

• Anemia
• Blood conditions
• Genetic Disease
• Autosomal Genetic Diseases
• Autosomal Recessive Genetic Diseases
• more types...»

Types of Sickle Cell Anemia

Curable Types of Sickle Cell Anemia

Possibly curable types of Sickle Cell Anemia include:

• Infectious crisis of sickle cell anemia
• Vaso-occlusive crisis of sickle cell anemia
• Septic arthritis due to sickle cell anemia
• Splenic infarction due to sickle cell anemia
• more types...»

Rare Types of Sickle Cell Anemia:

Rare types of Sickle Cell Anemia include:

• Bone marrow toxins( phenylbutazone) induced sickle cell anemia
• Rib infarction induced by sickle cell anemia
• Synovial thrombosis caused by sickle cell anemia
• Pulmonary infarction caused by sickle cell anemia
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Sickle Cell Anemia

• Anemia - ice chewing
• Anemia? Asthma?
• Symptoms of anemia plus WAY MORE. HELP!!!
• Anemia.. ?
• Hair loss due to medication
• Anemia, Fatigue, Dizziness, Low HR, Low BP, etc.
• Sc sickle cell disease(another type?)
• Massive Weight Loss due to Nausea
• Sickle cell: trait or disease
• Is this anemia?....for an athlete
• anemia
• Anemia? or something worse?
• hemoglobin
• Afraid im dying from anemia
• help severe anemia poss cushings?
• Is it possible I have mono or anemia?
• Hair Loss... at 19 !! maybe due to bad habits
• Can this be anemia??
• told i have anemia now they tell me i have hemochromatosis
• recently developed intractable anemia

Related forums and medical stories:

• Blood Conditions (129)
  • Anemia - ice chewing
  • small red spots on arms legs back chest
  • Low Platelets, Low white blood count
  • tingly, heavy arms
  • Magnesium Deficiency
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Sickle Cell Anemia, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Definitions of Sickle Cell Anemia:

A disease characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, episodic painful crises, and pathologic involvement of many organs. It is the clinical expression of homozygosity for hemoglobin S. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A congenital form of anemia occurring mostly in blacks; characterized by abnormal blood cells having a crescent shape - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Sickle Cell Anemia is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Sickle Cell Anemia, or a subtype of Sickle Cell Anemia, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Sickle Cell Anemia as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet