Anatomy and physiology II research assignment

Anatomy and Physiology

Sickle cell anemia is defined as being a severe form of the illness anemia, where not enough healthy red blood cells are present to carry the necessary oxygen to the rest of the body (Hwang & Shaparin 2003). Red blood cells in individuals with sickle cell anemia will be rigid and moon-shaped, unlike normal red blood cells that are smooth and round. Because of the shape of the red blood cells with sickle cell anemia, they become sticky and slow or block the flow of blood which ceases the amount of oxygen that can even go to the rest of the body (Bjorklund 2010).

Getting diagnosed with sickle cell anemia can happen as young as right after birth, or even before a baby is born (Peterson 2009; Bloom 1995). In order for this to occur, the fluid surrounding the amniotic sac is tested to watch out for the presences of hemoglobin S. This test is usually done when one or both parents of the unborn child have sickle cell anemia themselves (Bloom 1995). Usually however, a simple blood test is done to check for the presence of hemoglobin S. This is done routinely for all newborns in the United States, and can be done on adults or children (Bloom 1995). If the person tests positive for the presence of hemoglobin S, they will then give further tests in which the blood cells will be examined under a microscope to check the severity of the disorder, such as the amount present, and how deformed the cells are (Peterson 2009).

Symptoms of this disorder can range from moderate to severe. The most common symptom is fatigue. Because of the sickle cells' fragility and their ability to only live for only 10 to 20 days at a time (unlike regular red blood cells that live about 120 days), a shortage of cells occurs, causing a person to be tired (Bjorklund 2010). Sickle cell anemia can also cause periods of pain in which a person's joints, bones, or muscles hurt so much that it can last from hours to weeks, depending on the person (DCI 2011). Hands and feet can also become swollen; This is actually a symptom seen primarily in babies who have not been diagnosed (Bloom 1995). People with sickle cell anemia also have frequent infections as a result of the damage that sickle cell anemia does to the spleen which assists in fighting off infections. Because of the sickle cells' shapes, they can clog up the blood vessels in a person's eyes, causing damage to the retina and to vision (Peterson 2009).

Due to the fact that sickle cell anemia is hereditary, there are no methods of preventing attaining sickle cell anemia (Bloom 1995). There is also no absolute cure for this illness; there are only treatment methods (Harris 2001). Hope for a cure does come from bone marrow transplants, but due to the danger associated with the procedure, which can include death, that is not really seen as an option (Jordan 2011). Medications such as the daily intake of antibiotics like penicillin, are taken in order to prevent and more easily fight off infections. Pain-relieving medication is also used to take care of the pain associated with the painful episodes that occur in individuals with sickle cell anemia (Harris 2001). A more extreme measure can be undergoing blood transfusions which supply the body with a batch of new red blood cells to make up for the ones that have died and the ones that are damaged (Plasmar 2004).

Research on sickle cell anemia and experimental treatments are being conducted in order to provide some relief for individuals with this illness (O'Malley 2006). The biggest research is being done on gene therapy (Pace 2007). Because sickle cell anemia results from the production of one faulty gene, researchers are looking into putting another health gene in the place of the faulty one that could do the same thing as the faulty one (Pace 2007). This as a result will produce healthy hemoglobin. Nitric oxide is also being researched as inhaling this gas assists in the flow of red blood cells in people with sickle cell anemia (Plasmar 2004). This helps prevent the bunching up and clots of individuals with this disorder, alleviating some of their symptoms. Drugs that increase the production of fetal hemoglobin cells have also been a topic of research as this stops the sickle cells from forming in the first place (O'Malley 2006). There is plenty of research being done about a disease that affects millions of people worldwide in hopes of stopping it from causing so much harm.