The Crescent Moon Disease: Sickle Cell

The Crescent Moon Disease: Sickle Cell Sickle cell anemia is a disease that is passed throughout families. Sickle cell affects the red blood cells, which cause the blood cells to look like a crescent moon instead of looking like a disc, like the photo included above. There are two types of Sickle cell: Sickle Cell Anemia and Sickle Cell- Hemoglobin C. Sickle Cell Anemia is the less severe one out of the two. Sickle Cell Anemia affects many racial and ethnic groups. One in four hundred African-American newborns have this disease in the United States. African- Americans are not the only group that gets affected. Hispanics, people of the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern descent, and also Asians are affected by this disease.
There are several …show more content…
When Hydroxyurea is taken daily, it reduces the frequency of painful crisis and may reduce the need for blood transfusions for Sickle Cell patients. Hydroxyurea works by stimulating production of fetal hemoglobin, which is the type of hemoglobin found in newborns that help prevent formation of Sickle cells. Although this medicine sounds like good thing for Sickle Cell patients, there are some concerns that with long term use, it will increase infections. There are also some concerns that it can cause tumors or leukemia in certain …show more content…
It is a painful disease, which causes patients to be in pain for the rest of their life. There really is no way to cure Sickle cell anemia. The doctors can prescribe medicine, but not guarantee that it will work.

In the Punnett square above, it shows how Sickle cell is carried on through generations. AA has a 25 percent chance of getting Sickle cell disease. AS has a 50 percent has the sickle cell trait. SS has a 25 percent chance of not having the Sickle cell disease or