There are over a thousand genetic diseases around the world, and Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of those thousand. SCD affects seventy thousand to eighty thousand Americans. “Estimated one in five hundred African Americans and one in one thousand to one thousand four hundred Hispanic Americans have inherited SCD,” (Sickle Cell Disease.) Sickle Cell Disease is inherited by the parents, has symptoms, affects the body, and can be treated.
“SCD is inherited in autosomal recessive,” (Single Gene Disorders.) This means that an offspring would have two copies of abnormal genes that was inherited from both parents. There are different types of SCD, such as sickle cell anemia. “Someone who inherits a sickle cell gene from each parent has hemoglobin SS …show more content…
Signs usually begin at a young age. In some children, SCD can delay growth and development. Plus, strokes, jaundice, repeated infections, low red blood count, pains in lower abdomen, and fatigue are also symptoms. In one third of adults, pulmonary hypertension occurs which could lead to heart failure. Additionally, with all these symptoms, it can develop anemia. The seriousness of symptoms varies from person to person, they could be mild or they could be severe and lead to someone being placed in the hospital.
SCD causes a person's red blood cells to be curved in creating a “c” like shape. With this, the red blood cells could clog up the blood vessels preventing oxygen from passing through them and can cause pain and damage to organs. For example, oxygen would not reach the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and other organs. Plus, cells that are for these organs, will die off because of the lack of oxygen reaching them. With SCD, a person’s life expectancy has been shortened by up to thirty years. Plus, a person is most likely going to have many infections or small
“SCD is inherited in autosomal recessive,” (Single Gene Disorders.) This means that an offspring would have two copies of abnormal genes that was inherited from both parents. There are different types of SCD, such as sickle cell anemia. “Someone who inherits a sickle cell gene from each parent has hemoglobin SS …show more content…
Signs usually begin at a young age. In some children, SCD can delay growth and development. Plus, strokes, jaundice, repeated infections, low red blood count, pains in lower abdomen, and fatigue are also symptoms. In one third of adults, pulmonary hypertension occurs which could lead to heart failure. Additionally, with all these symptoms, it can develop anemia. The seriousness of symptoms varies from person to person, they could be mild or they could be severe and lead to someone being placed in the hospital.
SCD causes a person's red blood cells to be curved in creating a “c” like shape. With this, the red blood cells could clog up the blood vessels preventing oxygen from passing through them and can cause pain and damage to organs. For example, oxygen would not reach the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and other organs. Plus, cells that are for these organs, will die off because of the lack of oxygen reaching them. With SCD, a person’s life expectancy has been shortened by up to thirty years. Plus, a person is most likely going to have many infections or small