Figure 6: Sickle Cell Disease Symptoms:
A person with sickle cell disease may experience any of the following symptoms:
Anemia. Anemia means lack of blood. Because sickled cells are short-lived or destroyed, there are less red blood cells available in the body. This results in anemia. Severe anemia can make you feel dizzy, short of breath, and tired.
Pain crisis, or sickle crisis. This occurs when the flow of blood is blocked to an area because the sickled cells have become stuck in the blood vessel. The pain can occur anywhere, but most often occurs in the chest, arms, and legs. Infants and young children may have painful swelling of the fingers and toes. Interruption in blood flow may also cause tissue death.
Acute chest syndrome. This occurs when sickling occurs in the chest. This can be life-threatening. It often occurs suddenly, when the body is under stress from infection, fever, or dehydration. The sickled cells stick together and block the flow of oxygen in the tiny vessels in the lungs. It resembles pneumonia and can include fever, pain, and a violent cough.
Splenic sequestration (pooling). The spleen is in the upper left abdomen, it is responsible for filtering blood. Crises are a result of sickle cells pooling in the spleen. This can cause a sudden drop in hemoglobin and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. The spleen can also become enlarged and painful from the increase in blood volume. After repeated episodes, the spleen becomes scarred, and permanently damaged. Most children, by age 8, do not have a working spleen either from surgical removal, or from repeated episodes of splenic sequestration. The risk of infection is a major concern of children without a working spleen. Infection is the major cause of death in children younger than age 5 in this population.
Stroke. This is another sudden and severe complication of people with sickle cell disease. The misshapen cells can block the major blood vessels that supply the brain with oxygen. Any interruption in the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain can result in severe brain damage. If you have one stroke from sickle cell anemia, you are more likely to have a second and third stroke.
Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mouth. Jaundice is a common sign and symptom of sickle disease. Sickle cells do not live as long as normal red blood cells and, therefore, they are dying faster than the liver can filter them out. Bilirubin (which causes the yellow color) from these broken down cells builds up in the system causing jaundice.
