Ashley McHugh
Ms. Greve
Biology I Academic (2)-1
11 January 2016
Sickle Cell Disease: A Chronic Cruelty Sickle cell disease is a collection of inherited blood cell disorders in which the hemoglobin in red blood cells mutates into a dangerous crescent shape. This crescent shape is “not flexible and can stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood.” Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder in the United States, but it primarily affects African Americans. Victims suffer from lifelong complications wherein the worst of the pain lies in sporadic episodes. Sickle cell disease is an incurable hereditary condition which produces abnormally shaped red blood cells that trigger periods of severe pain; …show more content…
The disease strengthens the probability of “strokes, kidney failure, severe infections, and sudden death”, and the average life expectancy is only forty to fifty years old (World Book). Patients with sickle cell disease tend to have mild anemia, or lack of blood. However, it is very possible for a person with sickle cell disease to experience life threatening severe anemia. The chronic pain felt by teenagers and adults with sickle cell disease includes acute chest syndrome, brain complications, eye problems, heart disease, kidney problems, gallstones, liver complications, leg ulcers, joint complications, and delayed growth and puberty. Pregnant women with sickle cell disease are at a higher risk for miscarriages, premature births, and underweight babies as well as having blood clots, higher infection percentages, and increased pain episodes. The agony felt by patients due to complications of the disease is felt in virtually every part of the body, with little relief (Genetics Home …show more content…
Sickle cell disease victims commonly experience depression and anxiety for several reasons including endless pain, the threat of mortality, and impaired self-esteem. Frequent mood swings are possibly explained by the constant prescription of opioids. This excessive use of medicine also contributes to addiction to prescription drugs, alcohol, etc. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). For this reason, and many others, there are many sickle cell support groups in the United States. The most well known support groups include The Children’s Sickle Cell Foundation, Sickle Cell Society, and Sickle Cell Foundation Support Group. Sadly, depression and anxiety run rampant in patients with sickle cell disease because the patients have to face their reality