SICKLE CELL DISEASE: TIPS ON PREVENTING AND MANAGING CRISIS

What is sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary problem that causes a type of faulty hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood.

Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and very flexible. In sickle cell disease, some red blood cells can change shape so that they look like sickles or crescent moons. Because of their shape, they don’t move well through the smallest blood vessels. This can stop or slow blood flow to parts of the body, causing less oxygen to reach these areas.giochi festa compleanno 7 anni amazon mingo stol fz bike price in india adidas boost green black bezova kabelky العربية للعود عطر الفريد الكويت kattenbak in de tuin België boty nike černo zlaté amazon encimera de cristal de gas rockshox pike dj sale adidas original tank top herren which fleshlight to buy trinkflasche edelstahl inele de logodna cu piatra inele de logodna cu piatra 

What is a sickle cell crisis?

A sickle cell crisis is pain that can begin suddenly and last several hours to several days. It happens when sickled red blood cells block small blood vessels that carry blood to your bones. You might have pain in your back, knees, legs, arms, chest or stomach. The pain can be throbbing, sharp, dull or stabbing. How often and how bad the pain gets varies a lot from person to person and from crisis to crisis.

You might be able to treat your pain crisis at home with medicines that you take by mouth. If these medicines don’t control your pain, you can’t keep fluids down or you know that you’re having severe pain, you might need to be treated in the emergency department. If your pain still isn’t controlled or you have other problems, you might need to be treated in the hospital.

What causes a sickle cell crisis?

Most of the time, you won’t know what caused your sickle cell crisis. A crisis usually has more than one cause. sudden change in temperature, which can make the blood vessels narrow.

• very strenuous or excessive exercise, due to shortage of oxygen.
• dehydration, due to low blood volume.
• infections.
• stress.
• high altitudes, due to low oxygen concentrations in the air.
• alcohol.
• smoking.

However, you can do several things that might keep a crisis from occurring:

• Don’t drink a lot of alcohol.
• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit.
• Exercise regularly but not so much that you become really tired. When you exercise, drink lots of fluids.
• Drink at least eight 12-ounce glasses of water a day during warm weather.
• Reduce or avoid stress. Talk to your doctor if you’re depressed or have problems with your family or job.
• Treat any infection as soon as it occurs. When in doubt, see your doctor.
• Wear warm clothes outside in cold weather and inside in air-conditioned rooms during hot weather. Also, don’t swim in cold water.
• Try to be positive about yourself.
• Tell your doctor if you think you might have a sleep problem, such as snoring or if you sometimes stop breathing during sleep.
• If you have another medical condition, like diabetes, get treatment and control the condition.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, get early prenatal care.
• Only travel in commercial airplanes. If you have to travel in an unpressurized aircraft, talk to your doctor about extra precautions.

What medicines can I use at home to control my pain?

Some over-the-counter medicines might help relieve mild pain. Work with your doctor to know the best medicine you may need

What else can I do to control the pain?

A heating pad, hot bath, rest or massage might help. Physical therapy to relax and strengthen your muscles and joints might lessen your pain. Individual counseling, self-hypnosis and activities to keep you from thinking about your pain (such as watching television or talking on the telephone) might also help.

It’s important for you to have a positive attitude, create a supportive environment, and develop coping skills to help you deal with your disease. Strong family relationships and close personal friends can be helpful. A support group might help you cope with your disease.

CREDIT: Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.