MANAGING YOUR SICKLE CELL DISEASE

Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the world.

An inherited disease cannot be “caught” from another person. It is passed down from parent to child in their genes, like hair color and eye color. It happens mostly in African Americans.

Sickle cell disease affects the red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

A protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin tells the cells what shape to take.

People with sickle cell disease have a type of hemoglobin (hemoglobin S) that causes the red blood cells to become shaped like a banana or a sickle.

Sickled cells are sticky and cannot flow easily through blood vessels. They break open easily, and this causes the overall level of hemoglobin in the body to be low.