What happens if a person has sickle cell disease (SCD)?
People with SCD are generally well most of the time, but occasionally they may experience pain in any part of the body. This is because their haemoglobin S causes the red blood cells to change from a soft, spongy round disc into a hard, brittle, banana shape (‘sickle shaped’). Because of their shape and hardness these cells break into small sharp pieces, they cannot flow easily through the blood vessels and may get trapped causing a blockage in blood flow. This can lead to pain in the area(s) of the body starved of blood. When this happens it is called a sickle cell or pain crisis which can be mild, moderate, severe or excruciating.When and what causes the pain to come? The pain of sickle cell crisis is unpredictable. It does not come in any given pattern, frequency or severity. Certain situations can trigger a pain crisis. These include: • chilling of the body • not enough water in the body (dehydration) • sudden changes in body temperature (cold / heat) • lack of oxygen • infection (
