Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Welcome back to a new quarter Anteaters! We are so happy to see everyone back on campus and to meet new faces during the Anteater Involvement Fair and during our recruitment week. Recruitment is still ongoing and if you are interested in chronic illnesses, looking for a pre-health community or new friends, come join us at Rowland Hall 188 every Monday from 5pm-6pm!
As September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we will be talking about what sickle cell disease is and how it affects the body. Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder where the shape of red blood cells are affected. Instead of being round and flexible, sickle cell anemia causes the red blood cells to look like a sickle or crescent moon.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sickle-cell-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355876
As the shape affects how much oxygen a red blood cell is able to carry throughout the body, those affected by sickle cell disease have difficulty breathing, pale skin color, and a fast heart rate. This shape also affects the flow of blood and blood clots may occur in the patient, as well as swelling, pain or tenderness and redness of skin. Sickle cell disease may also lead to anemia, where the patient does not have enough red blood cells.
https://www.ihtc.org/acute-chest-syndrome
More severe symptoms of sickle cell disease can lead to having a stroke, episodes of pain and may lead to death.
Sickle cell disease affects more than 100,000 people in the United States and affects 20 million people globally. It also affects people of African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent.
In order to treat sickle cell disease, doctors can prescribe medicine that help with pain management, and a blood transfusion or stem cell transplant is recommended to prevent complications such as stroke. Lifestyle changes such as drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet, taking folic acid supplements avoiding extreme heat or cold temperatures can decrease the risk of a sickle cell crisis. Regular exercise is also recommended.
If you or a loved one has sickle cell disease, having a strong support system and being educated about the effects of sickle cell disease is helpful.
UCI also offers blood donations, so if you are interested in donating your blood and learning more, visit https://www.ucihealth.org/locations/irvine/blood-donor-center-campus to learn more about ways you can donate blood!
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Sites:
https://www.ucihealth.org/locations/irvine/blood-donor-center-campus
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/complications.html
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/facts.htm
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sickle-cell-disease
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sickle-cell-anemia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355882