Sickle cell anemia is an inherited form of anemia — a condition in which there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout your body. Normally, your red blood cells are flexible and round, moving easily through your blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become rigid and sticky and are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These irregularly shaped cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body.

Symptoms:

1. Anemia
2. Episodes of pain
3. Painful swelling of hands and feet
4. Frequent infections
5. Delayed growth
6. Vision problems

Treatment:

Surgery: Bone marrow transplant, also known as stem cell transplant, offers the only potential cure for sickle cell anemia. It’s usually reserved for people younger than age 16 because the risks increase for people older than 16. Finding a donor is difficult, and the procedure has serious risks associated with it, including death.

Medications:

1. Antibiotics
2. Pain-relieving medications
3. Hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea)