Complications & Treatments
People with sickle cell disease (SCD) start to have signs of the disease during the first year of life, usually around 5 months of age. Symptoms and complications of SCD are different for each person and can range from mild to severe.
The reason that infants don’t show symptoms at birth is because baby or fetal hemoglobin protects the red blood cells from sickling. When the infant is around 4 to 5 months of age, the baby or fetal hemoglobin is replaced by sickle hemoglobin and the cells begin to sickle.
SCD is a disease that worsens over time. Treatments are available that can prevent complications and lengthen the lives of those who have this condition. These treatment options can be different for each person depending on the symptoms and severity.
SCD can be cured for certain patients. A bone marrow transplant, which involves collecting healthy cells from a donor’s bone marrow and transferring them into a patient, can cure SCD. However, a bone marrow transplant may not be the best choice for all patients because it comes with serious risk. A bone marrow transplant expert can advise patients about whether or not it is a good choice for them.
Pain is the most common complication of SCD, and the number 1 reason that people with SCD go to the emergency room or hospital. Here are some pain crisis management steps to take in order to reduce the number of crises an SCD patient experiences:
Drink plenty of water.
Try not to get too hot or too cold.
Try to avoid places or situations that cause exposure to high altitudes (for example, flying, mountain climbing, or cities with a high altitude).
Try to avoid places or situations with exposure to low oxygen levels (for example, mountain climbing or exercising extremely hard, such as in military boot camp or when training for an athletic competition).