Pain spans the life course and begins as early as the first year of life. But when you have sickle cell disease (SCD), some cells are curved -- like a sickle--and hard. This occurs when the sickle-shaped red blood cells block the blood vessels. SCD results in anemia and "sickle cell crisis" (SCC). They happen when blood vessels to part of the body become blocked. Because they aren't as flexible--or deformable- they can get stuck in small blood vessels. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea, Silkos) and voxelotor (Oxbryta) prevent abnormal red blood cells from forming. You have shortness of breath or chest pain. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information -, Look up ICD10 codes for Anemia, Sickle Cell on icd-codes.com, Medical Marijuana Tied to Fewer Admissions in Sickle Cell Disease, What People With Sickle Cell Disease Need to Know About COVID-19, Who's at Highest Risk From COVID-19? Avoid temperature extremes. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For example, if you have a kidney problem, acetaminophen might be the better choice. Sickle cell anemia is a severe hereditary form of anemia that arises as a result of the sickle cell disease where the mutated form of hemoglobin distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape at low oxygen levels. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders affecting about 1 in 500 African American children and 1 in 36,000 Hispanic American children. But if your kid slips a big piece of Lego down the drain, youâre going to have some bigger problems when it gets stuck in your pipes. How Long Does Coronavirus Live On Surfaces? © Copyright IBM Corporation 2020 Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. It happens when sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) block blood vessels. You may need to stay in the hospital until the pain is under control. All rights reserved. Talk to your doctor to see whatâs safe for you. All illustrations and images included in CareNotes® are the copyrighted property of A.D.A.M., Inc. or IBM Watson Health. Physical therapy may provide some relief, too. It happens when sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) block blood vessels. You can also try a heating pad, hot bath, or a massage. Keep your differential wide. Sickle cell disease may lead to various acute and chronic complications, several of which have a high mortality rate. Types of sickle cell crisis presentations: fever — consider veno-occlusive disease, acute chest syndrome, osteomyelitis, local or systemic infection; vaso-occlusive crisis — assume this is the cause of any painful presentations; acute chest syndrome — life-threatening lung infarction