ID #: 13792Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease was first discovered in 1910 by Dr. B. Herrick, who wrote a report on a man suffering from blood circulation problems. Sickle cell anemia, a now common disease, can only be hereditary and has many symptoms due to blocked blood vessels, which can make it dangerous to go without curative treatment. Fortunately, without a cure, we are able to prolong the lives of people with sickle cell disease through treatment. According to the National Institute of Health, the most common form of sickle cell disease is sickle cell anemia. This is a disorder that turns your typical disc-shaped red blood cell into a sickle or crescent shape. The red blood cell has a soft disc shape that allows it to move and squeeze through your blood vessels more efficiently. Additionally, red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin A, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Hemoglobin S is the abnormal hemoglobin found in sickle cells and is what gives the sickle cell its crescent shape. Normal hemoglobin looks like small dots, where hemoglobin S forms stiff strands that give it its shape. The sickle or crescent shape is harmful because it gets lodged in blood vessels and blocks blood flow. Blocked blood flow leads to pain and serious organ damage. Anemia is a condition in which a person has a lower than normal amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells are made in the spongy bone marrow inside the body's largest bones. Additionally, red blood cells are produced every day and are capable of living for about 120 days in your blood, carrying oxygen and removing carbon dioxide before dying. A sickle cell disease only...... middle of paper ...... available is a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions are used to prevent people whose cases are getting worse from developing life-threatening symptoms. Side effects of blood transfusions include: allergic reactions and increased risk of hepatitis and HIV. Research into stem cell transplants and medications continues in the hope of new treatments. Researchers are also looking for a way to determine the severity of this disease. Unfortunately, because this disease is hereditary, many infants with it die very young because their bodies are not yet developed or strong enough to fight off infections. Fortunately, some cases only get worse when the person is older and strong enough to survive the life-threatening symptoms. The life expectancy of the average American with sickle cell anemia has improved and is in the mid-40s (National Institute of Health) (Johns Hopkins Medicine).