NHS England is launching a new campaign to raise awareness of sickle cell
(Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA)NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is urging the public to give blood, as demand for donations increases.
Blood donations are needed more than ever, to treat those with sickle cell disease, and demand has risen by around 67 per cent over the past five years.
Sickle cell disease disproportionately affects those with African and Carribean heritage, and it has become the fastest-growing genetic condition in the United Kingdom.
The disease works by causing red blood cells to form into sickle or crescent shapes, which then become stuck in the blood vessels, causing agonising crisis episodes, or long-term complications such as organ damage and stroke.
Many need frequent blood transfusions in order to stay alive due to the nature of the disease.
Here’s everything you need to know about the disease.
What is sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease is the name of a group of inherited health conditions, that affect the red blood cells, with the most serious type being sickle cell anaemia.
Sickle cell disease is particularly common in people from an African or Caribbean family background, and those suffering from it produce unusually shaped red blood cells, that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells, and can block the blood vessels.
The disease is a serious and life-long health condition but, with treatment, it is manageable.
What are the symptoms of sickle cell disease?
Those born with sickle cell tend to have problems from early childhood, but some children have few symptoms, and can lead normal lives most of the time.
The main symptoms of sickle cell disease are:
- Painful episodes called sickle cell crises, which can be very severe and last up to a week
- An increased risk of serious infections
- Anaemia (where red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen around the body), which can cause tiredness and shortness of breath
Other issues can include delayed growth, strokes, and lung problems.
How do you treat sickle cell disease?
In order to treat sickle cell disease, sufferers will need to have interventions throughout their lives, usually delivered by different health professionals, in a specialist sickle cell centre.
Those with the illness also need to take care of their health, by avoiding triggers and managing pain.
A number of treatments for sickle cell disease are available.
According to the NHS, these include:
- Drinking plenty of fluids and staying warm to prevent painful episodes
- Painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (sometimes treatment with stronger painkillers in hospital may be necessary)
- Daily antibiotics and having regular vaccinations to reduce your chances of getting an infection
- A medicine called hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea) to reduce symptoms
- Regular blood transfusions if symptoms continue or get worse, or there are signs of damage caused by sickle cell disease
- An emergency blood transfusion if severe anaemia develops
The only known cure for sickle cell disease is a stem-cell or bone-marrow transplant, but they’re not frequently carried out due to the risks.
