Sickle Cell Anaemia and How It Can Affect Your Family

Sickle Cell Anaemia is a type of inherited blood disorder known as the Sickle Cell Disease. It affects the red blood cells which are usually round and flexible, so they can move easily through blood vessels. But, in this condition, some red blood cells are shaped like sickles or crescent moons and these cells are hard and sticky. They stop the normal red blood cells from doing their job, which is to carry oxygen throughout the body. Sickled cells don’t live as long as the normal red blood cells and hence the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This causes anaemia, the condition that gives sickle cell anaemia its name. Anaemia is a lack of heathy red blood cells or haemoglobin.