Thank you for showing your support for sickel cell awareness month #Boldlipsforsickelcell Wellness Wednesday
The Many Faces of Sickle Cell Disease
Earlier this on month we started spreading awareness on a serious but rarely discussed condition. Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects people of many racial and ethnic groups. In the United States, 90,000 to 100,000 people―mainly Blacks or African Americans―have SCD. The disease occurs among about 1 of every 500 Black or African-American births and among about 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American births. Other people affected include those of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian origin. In addition, more than 2 million people carry the sickle cell gene that allows them potentially to pass the disease on to their children. Such a serious disease need more awareness then it gets. She's everything decided to spread awareness by using the aide of social media, friends and family we promoted a challenge to spread awareness for sickle cell. The Boldlipsforsicklecell challenge these lovely women spread awareness by embracing their own beauty. Which in any hard situation can provide hope and strength and give you the will to live on. Where just shining a light on sickle cell but many have no idea what it really is.
#Boldlipsforsicklecell Challenge
What Is Sickle Cell Anemia?
Sickle cell anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh) is the most common form of sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is a serious disorder in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. “Sickle-shaped” means that the red blood cells are shaped like a crescent.Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. They move easily through your blood vessels. Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). This protein carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Sickle cells contain abnormal hemoglobin called sickle hemoglobin or hemoglobin S. Sickle hemoglobin causes the cells to develop a sickle, or crescent, shape.
Sickle cells are stiff and sticky. They tend to block blood flow in the blood vessels of the limbs and organs. Blocked blood flow can cause pain and organ damage. It can also raise the risk for infection.
- Hemoglobin C trait
- Hemoglobin E trait
- Hemoglobin Barts - which indicates an alpha thalassemia trait
- Beta thalassemia trait
Outlook
Sickle cell anemia has no widely available cure. However, treatments to improve the anemia and lower complications can help with the symptoms and complications of the disease in both children and adults. Blood and marrow stem cell transplants may offer a cure for a small number of people.Over the past 100 years, doctors have learned a great deal about sickle cell anemia. They know its causes, how it affects the body, and how to treat many of its complications.
Sickle cell anemia varies from person to person. Some people who have the disease have chronic (long-term) pain or fatigue (tiredness). However, with proper care and treatment, many people who have the disease can have improved quality of life and reasonable health much of the time.
Because of improved treatments and care, people who have sickle cell anemia are now living into their forties or fifties, or longer.
How to help? Donate Blood for Sickle Cell Patients
African American Blood Drive for Sickle Cell Disease Awareness
Although people with sickle cell anemia are always in need of blood donations, we focus on awareness each February – "African American (Black) History Month" and September – "Sickle Cell Month"
Most Blood Donor Centers are by appointment so, please contact them by phone and set up yours. Also, ask them if you can get names and phone numbers of people from your church, job, neighborhood, etc. on a commitment sign up sheet, can you fax the sign up sheet(s) directly to them and if they will call the donors and set up their appointments.As African Americans, we need African American blood because it is the best match for these patients. If the blood is not a very close match, the patient may reject the transfusion and it could be fatal. Presently, only 5% of African Americans donate blood and it is just not enough. People with the sickle cell trait can not help a person with sickle cell disease, but we can help someone else!
Most children with sickle cell disease will need at least one blood transfusion before the age of 11. For most surgeries (major or minor), a transfusion is necessary and more often today children, teens and adults are receiving a blood transfusion every two to four weeks.
For more information or other ways you can assist, call:
Your Local: Children’s Hospital Sickle Cell Clinic or Sickle Cell Foundation
web: http://www.givelife.org/
Blood Donation Web Links
Sickle Cell Information - Why give Blood at Please Give Blood. org http://www.pleasegiveblood.org/sickle.htm
American National Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C.
www.redcross.org
http://www.givelife.org/
Giving Blood or Giving Bone Marrow
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) at http://www.aabb.org/
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) at http://WWW.Marrow.org/
The International Red Cross Movement
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at http://www.icrc.org/
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies at http://www.ifrc.org/
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