The functioning of the abnormal hemoglobin

Sickle Cell Anemia

As an inherited condition, it is presence of hemoglobin which tends to be abnormal that brings about sickle cell anemia. In basic terms, hemoglobin is a red blood cell protein whose main function is carrying oxygen. It is this hemoglobin abnormality that informs ‘sickled’ or distorted red blood cells whose survival is compromised as a result of the distortion and fragility. Though the prevalence of the condition largely varies in accordance with the region, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention points out that of all blood disorders, sickle cell anemia has earned itself a distinction as the most commonly inherited in America. In this text, I come up with a complete and concise definition of the disorder and its prevalence. I also detail how the condition affects body systems and how it is treated.

A Detailed Overview of the Condition

When it comes to individuals with sickle cell anemia, their normal hemoglobin largely differs from sickle or abnormal hemoglobin (hemoglobin S). According to Crowley (2009), abnormal hemoglobin is brought about by the alteration of globin chain forming amino acids as a result of an abnormality in the genes which control amino acids arrangement in hemoglobin. Crowley also states that the functioning of the abnormal hemoglobin is not affected in some cases. However, in some other cases, the abnormal hemoglobin may develop some properties which are largely unusual hence effectively leading to an impairment of their functioning.

While red blood cells that are rather normal can move with relative ease within vessels and are usually round in shape, abnormal red blood cells usually have their movement largely affected (especially through blood vessels which are significantly small ) as a result of their strange crescent shape. As a result of this impairment, they commonly get stuck and effectively block other blood cells. With this blockage, it becomes difficult for the red blood cells to reach the various organs as well as tissues hence eventually damaging the same. This blockage is known to bring about what is commonly referred to as a sickle cell crisis episode. During a sickle cell crisis, severe pain brought about by the denial of oxygen to a certain body part is experienced (Falvo, 2005). Indeed, it can be noted that severe obstruction of red blood cells flow may bring about tissue death or what is also referred to as necrosis.

Further, the fragility of abnormal red blood cells commonly informs their rupture. It is this rapture or what is also known as hemolysis that brings about a sustained decrease in the red blood cells count hence resulting in anemia. According to Khanna (2009), the average lifespan of abnormal red blood cells is between ten and twenty days. However, normal blood cells have an average lifespan of up to one hundred and twenty days.

Sickle Cell Anemia: Signs and Symptoms

It can be noted that when it comes to this condition, the signs and symptoms largely vary. Hence in this sense, symptoms could either be severe or mild. However, for infants, it may take up to approximately four months after birth for signs of sickle cell anemia to show up; though the condition is present at birth. In most cases, sickle cell anemia exhibits signs which are either loosely or strongly connected to anemia with occasional bouts of pain. With that in mind, most of the other evident signs and symptoms are brought about by the complications of the condition.

In most cases, individuals having sickle cell anemia may occasionally feel rather weak and tired. The United States Department of Health and Human Services gives other symptoms of the condition as jaundice, constant headaches and occasional feelings of dizziness. Other symptoms given in this case include feet and hand coldness and short breaths. It should be noted that these signs and symptoms are also in one way or the other linked to anemia. Further, individuals with the condition may experience occasional but sudden body pains i.e. In what I have explained earlier on in this text as sickle cell crisis. The occurrence of pain in this case also largely depends on an individual with some people experiencing severe pains only occasionally while for others, the same may be more frequent. Further, sickle cell anemia can be identified based on the complications it brings about. According to United States Department of Health and Human Services, these complications may include stroke, leg ulcers or sores, erections (in males) that are painful and unwanted, eye problems and in some cases; multiple organ failure, a rather serious but very rare occurrence.

How Body Systems are affected by the Condition

Sickle cell anemia comes with a number of complications which affect the body systems of an individual. In this text, I only give some of the most common complications brought about by the condition. To begin with, sickle cell anemia may bring about hand-foot syndrome where foot and hand blood vessels (small) are blocked by the abnormally shaped red blood cells. This blockage can bring about fever, swelling and pain and is mainly common among children under the age of four. An enlarged spleen is yet another complication brought about by sickle cell anemia. In this case, it is the trapped red blood cells that should ideally be in circulation that informs the enlargement of the spleen. This occurrence is referred to as the splenic crisis. Damage to the spleen may also impair the ability of an individual to fight various infections.

The eyes of an individual having sickle cell anemia may also be affected. In this case, the eyes are denied oxygen supply as a result of the blockage of the vessels that deliver blood rich in oxygen to this organ. In some cases, this can end up bringing about blindness. Sickle cell anemia also damages the penis as a result of a condition known as priapism. This occurs when there is blockage of blood flow to the penis.

Medications/Treatment

Treatment of sickle cell anemia is mainly tailored to keep the condition’s symptoms under control as well as to reduce the crises frequency. One medicine that is in most cases used to lower crises is hydroxycarbamide. This medicine facilitates fetal hemoglobin production which is a hemoglobin type that brings down the sickle cell numbers. Painkillers may also be prescribed for purposes of reducing pain. Further, to protect an individual from infections, a regular dose of vaccines may be necessary. Antibiotics may be prescribed incase of an infection.

Bone marrow transplant is another alternative in the treatment of sickle cell anemia. In this case, the bone marrow of an individual with the condition is replaced with that of an individual without the condition hence stimulating the production of healthy normal shaped red blood cells. However, this procedure is in most cases only suitable for children.

Prevalence

According to Arnold (2011), sickle cell anemia in most cases affects blacks as opposed to any other race. Arnold also states that of the total black American population in the U.S., 8% is believed to have the condition. The numbers of those who carry the sickle gene in the U.S. stands at approximately two million. However, the sickle cell trait is only prevalent in one out of twelve African-Americans. Internationally, the condition is mostly common in the sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be noted that when it comes to sickle cell anemia, there exists some special considerations for expectant women. In this case, those who have the condition should be monitored closely by a doctor and are advised to seek immediate medical attention incase of any complication, crisis or infection. It is hoped that going forward, advancements in medicine and technology will shed more light into the nature, management and treatment of sickle cell anemia.

References

Arnold. J.L. (July 11th, 2011). Sickle Cell Anemia: Epidemiology. Retrieved July 27th, 2011, from the Medscape Website: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/205926-overview#a0156

Crowley, L.V. (2009). An Introduction to Human Diseases: Pathology and Pathophysiology Correlations. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Falvo, D.R. (2005). Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illnesses and Disability. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Khanna, P. (2009). Essentials of Genetics. I.K. International Pvt Ltd.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & The national Institute of Health (nd). What are the Signs and Symptoms of Anemia? Retrieved July 27th, 2011, from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_SignsAndSymptoms.html

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!