Blood Disease: Sickle Cell Anemia, Research Paper Example

Sickle cell anemia is a blood disease that threatens a number of individuals, stemming from a genetic cause.  One particular group of risk is African Americans, of which one in twelve has the sickle cell trait (Medicine Plus, 2010). Sickle cell anemia is a particularly serious disease in light of the genetic basis, implications of the condition itself, and the related prognosis for the disease.

Genetic Basis

One worrisome aspect of sickle cell anemia is the cause: genetics.  The cause and risk factors are summed up completely in genetics. While certain ethnic groups may be more prone to the genetic basis of sickle cell anemia, it is in this basis that one is at risk for developing the dangerous condition.

Genetically speaking, sickle cell anemia is developed from a mutation in the gene that produces hemoglobin (Mayo Clinic, 2010).  Thus, while healthy individuals produce enough of hemoglobin A, the healthy type of hemoglobin, those with sickle cell anemia produce hemoglobin S, which stands for “sickle.”  The passing of the sickle cell is the basis upon which individuals develop the disease of sickle cell anemia.

The extent of sickle cell anemia is seen in the implications of passing sickle cell traits.  The Mayo Clinic (2010) states that two people with sickle cell traits, as it relates to a pregnancy, have a fifty percent chance of having a child that is a carrier. There is a twenty-five percent chance for both the child having sickle cell anemia or being unaffected and having normal hemoglobin.

The genetic basis is one aspect in sickle cell anemia that is threatening.  As sickle cell anemia is obtained via genetics, there is no way to prevent the disease from being passed on if the parents are carriers.  It should be noted that other options, such as in vitro fertilization, can improve the chances for the child to have normal hemoglobin (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

Implications of the Condition

The implications of sickle cell anemia are found within and beyond the other two points made in this analysis, in the genetic basis of sickle cell anemia and in its prognosis.  The characteristics of sickle cell anemia can have many implications within the health of one who lives with the condition.  The symptoms and problems associated with sickle cell anemia create a number of implications that are troublesome for one with the condition.

The implications of the condition stem from the characteristics of sickle cell anemia, which are important to observe.  As previously discussed, red blood cells contain normal blood, which can be normal or contain the sickle cell trait.  Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped, moving easily through the blood vessels (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2010). These normal blood cells are dramatically contrasted with sickle cells.

Sickle cells contain the mutation of the gene that produces hemoglobin, as previously discussed.  The sickle shape of the cell refers to the red blood cells as shaped like a “C,” which characterizes sickle cell anemia.  Contrasted to normal red blood cells, sickle cells are not able to move easily throughout blood vessels, leading to sets of unfortunate implications throughout the body of one who is infected with sickle cell anemia.

The implications are particularly worrisome. The blockage of blood flow in the blood vessels can cause a number of problems. Anemia, episodes of pain, hand-foot syndrome, jaundice, frequent infections, delayed growth, and vision problems are just some of the symptoms described by Mayo Clinic (2010).

The condition of sickle cell anemia is very troubling for those that possess this illness.  Pain, serious infections, and organ damage are among the serious implications of the condition.  As a result, it is easy to see how sickle cell anemia can affect individuals in such a negative manner.

Prognosis

The final category in this analysis of what makes sickle cell anemia particularly serious is that of its prognosis. This is one bleak area related to the characteristics of the condition, as there is no cure for the disease.  There are, however, treatments for the symptoms and complications of sickle cell anemia, as well as bone marrow transplants that cure a small number of cases (NHLBI, 2010).

It is first important to observe that sickle cell anemia is different from person to person.  Some individuals do not experience symptoms for quite some time, even for years (Medicine Net, 2010).  Others do not have this outlook and do not live past infancy or early childhood, however.

The nature of sickle cell anemia relates to a number of causes of death.  Among these causes are stroke, bleeding into the brain, bacterial infection (the most common cause of death, according to Medicine Net), and heart, kidney, or liver failure (2010).  Other chronic conditions related to sickle cell anemia, such as chronic pain or fatigue, indeed are related to the reduced lifespan of sufferers with this condition.

The actual prognosis for those who are infected with sickle cell anemia is quite negative.  With improved treatment in recent years, individuals are now consistently living past 40 years (NHLBI, Medicine Net).  Most experts place the average life expectancy somewhere in this range, usually in the 40 to 50-year mark, which is actually much better than it had been in past years.

Of course it really does depend on the individual.  At any rate, the prognosis for sickle cell anemia is disheartening for many, regardless if one is affected by the death of an infant or of a middle-aged individual with the condition.  Even with increased progress in healthcare, a 40 or 50-year lifespan is reason enough for sickle cell anemia to be a serious condition, given that this figure is a mark of progress in medicine.

Conclusion

Sickle cell anemia is a condition that affects a wide range of people.  Located in the red blood cells, it is passed on genetically, which characterizes the condition that cannot be prevented or cured.  Certain ethnic groups, however, are more predisposed to the condition, as in the example of African Americans.

Apart from its genetic basis, which renders individuals unprotected against being targeted from the condition, it is particularly troublesome.  On one account, individuals who suffer from sickle cell anemia are at risk for a number of serious symptoms, which can be prolonged or cause death, seemingly at any moment.  While medical advances have helped treating these symptoms and complications, they cause a great deal of trouble.  On the other hand, prognosis is not good for sufferers.  A 40 to 50-year life for any condition is not a good sign for those who have it.

It is clear that sickle cell anemia is a condition that is very serious.  Its seriousness is seen in the reasons why carriers should consider not having children.  Also, it is indeed seen in the serious implications in genetics, the health, and the prognosis of those who are affected with sickle cell anemia.  Clearly sickle cell anemia is a very serious condition indeed.

References

Mayo Clinic (2010). Sickle Cell Anemia. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324/DSECTION=symptoms.

Medicine Net (2010). Sickle Cell Anemia. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/sickle_cell/article.htm.

Medicine Plus (2010). Sickle Cell Anemia. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sicklecellanemia.html.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) (2010). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_WhatIs.html.