What happens to red blood cells in sickle cell disease, and what problems can this cause?
Picture 1. Normal red blood cells. When the red blood cells of people with sickle cell disease don’t get enough oxygen, these cells change shape. They become longer and curved. Some people think they look like the blade of a cutting tool called a “sickle.” Picture 1 shows normal red blood cells, and picture 2 shows sickle cells. Sickle cells can get stuck in blood vessels and keep blood from reaching parts of the body. This causes pain and can damage the body’s internal organs. Blocked blood vessels in the arms, legs, chest or abdomen can cause strong pain. Children with sickle cell disease might get more infections because their spleen is damaged by sickle cells. (One of the spleen’s main jobs is to protect against infection.) When sickle cells block blood flow to organs and cause pain and other problems, this is called a “sickle cell crisis,” or a “pain crisis.” Blocked blood vessels in the brain can cause a stroke. This can cause brain cells to die. Strokes affect about one in every
