Hand-Foot Syndrome
- Swelling of the hands and feet of babies
- Caused by sickled cells blocking blood flow out of the babies' hand and feet
- Typically occur in infants
Pain Crises
- Very common symptom of sickle cell anemia
- The effect of the abnormal red blood cells getting stuck in the the veins
- Usually occurs in the chest, abdomen, and the joints (such as the elbows and knees)
Fatigue
- A person experiences fatigue when they are extremely tired
- A person with sickle cell anemia can get this doe to the insufficient amount of red blood cells
Delayed Growth & Puberty
- This is another effect of having an insufficient amount of red blood cells in the body
- This can take effect on a person from childhood throughout adolescence
Eyes
- Vision may be a problem because the blood vessels that supply ones eyes may become filled with the crescent shaped cells
- This can then cause damage to the retina, which is the part of the eye that processes visual images
- Jaundice eyes can also be a symptom which is when the eyes are a yellowish color (does not change vision)
Frequent Infections
- Since the victims of sickle cell anemia have weaker immune systems, having frequent infections can be a problem
- One main infection that a patient can get is pneumonia, which is the infection that killed the comedian Bernie Mac