Category: health
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HOW TO HELP A LOVED ONE
If your loved one has SCD, you want to help the person to enjoy a normal life. Here are ways you can render help: 1. Detecting signs of crisis: Being able to tell when your loved one is about to have a crisis. Knowing the signs can help you deal with crisis quickly or perhaps…
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NOTES TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
1. Not all sickle cell patients look the same Health professionals may often say, “You don’t look like a sickle cell patient” if the individual doesn’t fit into their preconceived notion of what a sickle cell patient looks like. Growing up, I encountered countless people including health personnels who made this remark to me. Although…
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WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE AS AN SCD PATIENT
Make sure you know when to get medical advice and where to go, as sickle cell disease can cause a number of serious problems that can appear suddenly. Problems to look out for include: 1. A high temperature over 38C (or any increased temperature in a child). 2. Severe pain that is not responding to…
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THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT SAY TO SICKLE CELL PATIENTS
1. You are lazy Sickle cell patients are at risk of chronic and acute fatigue. Reasons for this may include pain crises reducing one’s ability to get adequate sleep. Also, mutated red blood cells cannot carry sufficient amounts of oxygen around the body, known as hypoxemia. This can cause tiredness. As a result of this,…
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SEPTEMBER IS SICKLE CELL AWARENESS MONTH
Warrior’s EncouragementStay strong, Sickle Cell Warriors! Your resilience and courage inspire us all during Sickle Cell Awareness Month and every day. You’ve got this! 💪❤️ #SickleCellAwarenessMonth
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WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY
World Sickle Cell Day is an international awareness day commemorated every year on 19 June, to alert the global public about sickle cell disease. Various global and local organisations come together during this day to promote awareness campaigns and activities which recognise the necessity of the early diagnosis of sickle cell disease, its treatment, and…
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MANAGING SICKLE CELL PAIN
You can reduce your risk of painful episodes (sickle cell crises) by avoiding things that can trigger them. Try to: Your healthcare team can give you more advice about avoiding triggers. It’s also a good idea to be prepared for treating painful episodes at home. Keep a ready supply of painkillers (paracetamol or ibuprofen) and…
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TRIGGERS OF SICKLE CELL CRISIS
Crises usually occur spontaneously. The pain occur when sickled cells get stuck in a blood vessel, blocking the flow of blood. This is sometimes referred to as sickling. Sickling may be triggered by conditions associated with low oxygen levels, increased blood acidity, or low blood volume. Common sickle cell crisis triggers include: • sudden change…
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WHAT IS SICKLE CELL DISORDER?
Sickle cell is an inherited disease caused by a defect in a gene. A person will be born with sickle cell disease only if two genes are inherited- one from the mother and one from the father. A person who inherits just one gene is healthy and said to be a “carrier” of the disease.…
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