World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is observed annually on June 19, focusing attention on a genetic blood disorder impacting millions globally. On this occasion, Dr Nakul Pathak, a consultant in paediatrics and paediatric intensive care at Surya Mother & Child Super Speciality Hospital, outlined how the disorder affects individuals and dispelled five common myths.
Sickle cell disease affects haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for oxygen transport. Healthy red blood cells are soft and flexible, easily navigating narrow blood vessels. Conversely, in sickle cell disease, some cells adopt a stiff, sticky, crescent shape. As a result, these cells can break down prematurely, leading to chronic anaemia, or block small vessels, restricting blood and oxygen supply to tissues.
In children, initial symptoms of sickle cell may be episodic. A child with the condition may appear healthy between episodes, making it difficult to gauge the ongoing changes within their blood.