Brief overview Description: Hereditary disease in which the red blood cells (erythrocytes) become sickle-shaped Causes: Sickle cell anemia is caused by a defective gene that is responsible for the formation of hemoglobin (red blood pigment). Prognosis: Sickle cell anemia varies in severity. The earlier the symptoms are treated, the better the prognosis. If left untreated, … Sickle Cell Anemia: Symptoms and therapy
Brief overview Description: Globular cell anemia is a congenital disorder that usually causes anemia in infancy or early childhood. Causes: Gene mutations that cause defects in red blood cells. Symptoms: Pallor, fatigue, anemia, jaundice, splenomegaly, gallstones. Diagnosis: Physical examination, positive family history, blood test, ultrasound When to see a doctor: Sudden onset of pallor, increasing … Sickle Cell Anemia: Development, Symptoms, Inheritance
Sickle cell anemia (technical term: drepanocytosis) is a hereditary disease of red blood cells. A distinction is made between a severe homozygous and a mild heterozygous form. Because heterozygous sickle cell anemia confers a degree of resistance to malaria, it is prevalent primarily in malaria risk areas (Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean region). What is … Sickle Cell Anemia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
DNA is considered the Holy Grail of genetics and evolutionary biology alike. Without DNA as the carrier of hereditary information, complex life on this planet is unthinkable. What is DNA? DNA is the abbreviation for “deoxyribonucleic acid“. For biochemists, this designation already says the most important things about its structure, but in normal cases it … DNA: Structure, Function & Diseases
Definition Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease of the blood or more precisely of the red blood cells (erythrocytes). There are two different forms depending on the inheritance: a so-called heterozygous and homozygous form. The forms are based on a disturbed form of the erythrocytes. In the absence of oxygen, they take on a … Sickle cell anemia – How dangerous is it really?
Diagnosis Several methods can detect the sickle cell shape of the red blood cells. The easiest way to do this is by observation: If a drop of blood is spread out on a glass slide and sealed against air, affected erythrocytes take on the sickle shape (called sickle cells or drepanocytes). So-called target-cells or shooting-disk … Diagnosis | Sickle cell anemia – How dangerous is it really?
Associated symptoms The clinical picture of the symptoms depends on whether the affected person is a homozygous or heterozygous carrier. In the homozygous form, one can generally speak of the more severe form. Patients already suffer hemolytic crises and organ infarctions in childhood due to circulatory disorders. A hemolytic crisis is a complication of hemolytic … Associated symptoms | Sickle cell anemia – How dangerous is it really?
Therapy In the case of homozygous carriers, an attempt can be made to integrate the cultivation of normal erythrocytes in the body with an allogenic stem cell transplant. For this purpose, blood-forming stem cells are transferred to a sibling or a stranger, which then take over the (correct) blood formation. This is also done, for … Therapy | Sickle cell anemia – How dangerous is it really?
What medications are contraindicated? In principle, all drugs that increase the viscosity of the blood or impair the oxygen supply should be avoided. For example, sickle-cell patients should refrain from taking contraceptives containing estrogen, as these increase their risk of thrombosis. Drugs that act on the autonomic nervous system and narrow the vessels (vasoconstrictive drugs) … What medications are contraindicated? | Sickle cell anemia – How dangerous is it really?
Splenectomy and alcohol – is it compatible? Since the spleen is not involved in the breakdown of alcohol, there is nothing to be said against occasional, moderate alcohol consumption even after a splenectomy. However, after a splenectomy, the liver takes over some of the tasks of the spleen, which is why it should be spared … Splenectomy and alcohol – is it compatible? | Splenectomy – All you need to know about it!
Definition – What is a splenectomy? The so-called splenectomy describes the removal of the spleen or parts of the organ. Such a splenectomy may be necessary in cases of injury to the spleen as a result of an accident or in some internal diseases. The latter include in particular dangerous functional disorders of the spleen … Splenectomy – All you need to know about it!
What are the short and long-term consequences after a splenectomy? Even during an inpatient hospital stay, quite a few of those affected develop pneumonia or other complaints in the respiratory system. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that the spleen is significantly involved in the storage and multiplication of various immune … What are the short and long-term consequences after a splenectomy? | Splenectomy – All you need to know about it!
