Do problems occur in the sickle cell trait?
Problems rarely occur in the sickle cell trait. People with the trait are healthy and may never know that they have it. Problems may develop in the sickle cell trait if the blood oxygen level is low as occurs with suppression of breathing following anaesthetics, or the overuse of drugs or alcohol, or when there is a shortage of oxygen in the air as at high altitudes. Sickling may occur in the kidney where there is reduced oxygen causing haematuria (blood in the urine). The frequency of these problems in people with the trait is unknown and generally no special treatment or observation is necessary in the sickle cell trait. The greatest importance of the trait is that when somebody with the trait has children with somebody who also has the trait then there is a one in four chance of each child having SS disease.
