Sickle Cell Anemia

In 1904, the disease Sickle Cell Anemia was discovered and explained to patients and other doctors every where. If you are a patient with this disease, some symptoms you may encounter are restricted blood flow to your organs, which can result in terrible pain. Also, it can lead to organ damage. Although, there are many serious conditions, some minor conditions which are also signs of the disease are frequent headaches, fevers, chest pains and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately Sickle Cell Anemia shortens both male and female patients life span to about 42 to 48 years old. This disease is extremely common in African Americans of both gender. About one in every five thousand black children have it and 1 in every 36000 Hispanic children get it. There isn't a cure for this genetic disease but treatments can help. Keeping yourself hydrated helps and analgesics. Other treatments like bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions are an option. In the molecular level of the cell if there is a second allel absent you can get Sickle Cell Anemia. This means that a person that only has one copy of the mutate allel will get Sickle Cell Anemia. To help develop new treatments, scientist should research how sickle cell Anemia effects bones as well as bone marrow. This disease destroys bone marrow and although there are surgery's to get bone marrow transplants, many people do not have the money to afford these treatments. Therefore, they should try to either find a medicine or a shot to help slow the process of the destruction of bones and bone marrow, or stop it completely. Unfortunately, research on cells is complicated and finding cures is time consuming and requires money. In my opinion, Sickle Cell Aneimia is one of the numerous devastating disease which like cancer has no cures and effects both adults, children and the elderly. On the other hand, this disease is not as common as cancer and although i feel empathy for those who have it, sicknesses like cancer are more important because cancer takes many children and adults lives.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle-cell_disease