What is the difference between sickle cell disease and trait?
What is the difference between sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease? People with sickle cell trait carry only one copy of the altered hemoglobin gene and rarely have any clinical symptoms related to the disease. In contrast, people with sickle cell disease carry two copies of the altered hemoglobin gene.
Can you get sickle cell disease if you have the trait?
Sickle cell trait can never become sickle cell disease. It is possible, however, for individuals with sickle cell trait to pass the gene to their children.
Does sickle cell trait do anything?
Sickle cell trait is NOT a disease and will never turn into a disease. People with sickle cell trait usually do not have any health problems. However, under extreme conditions a person with sickle cell trait can experience some of the same problems as a person who has sickle cell disease.
Does having sickle cell trait make you anemic?
But sickle cells usually die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a shortage of red blood cells (anemia). Without enough red blood cells, your body can’t get enough oxygen, causing fatigue. Episodes of pain. Periodic episodes of pain, called pain crises, are a major symptom of sickle cell anemia.
What blood type is sickle cell trait?
It is an inherited condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are produced in the red blood cells, always more A than S. Individuals with sickle cell trait are generally healthy.
Can I donate blood if I have sickle cell trait?
Is it safe for people with sickle cell trait to donate blood? Yes. If you have sickle cell trait, you are still are able to donate blood.
How long can you live with sickle cell trait?
With a national median life expectancy of 42–47 years, people with sickle cell disease (SCD) face many challenges, including severe pain episodes, stroke, and organ damage.
Can the sickle cell trait go away?
The sickled red blood cells can become stuck in small blood vessels, block the blood supply and cause pain and damage in that part of the body. They also cause a low blood count that makes the person tired and short of breath. This is called anemia and it does not go away.
Why can’t People with sickle cell trait donate blood?
You cannot donate if you have sickle cell disease. If you are a carrier for the sickle cell trait, you may donate whole blood; however, your blood might clog the filter that is applied to whole blood units in the blood bank.
What is the average lifespan of someone with sickle cell?
Results: Among children and adults with sickle cell anemia (homozygous for sickle hemoglobin), the median age at death was 42 years for males and 48 years for females. Among those with sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease, the median age at death was 60 years for males and 68 years for females.
