September’s project was about sickle cell anemia. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are produced in the bone marrow and are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues. Anemia is a disorder of the red blood cells in which there are too few red blood cells relative to the amount of oxygen that needs to be transported. Anemia can affect anyone, but it most commonly affects infants and pregnant women. It is a very common condition, affecting almost one quarter of the population. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are crescent shaped rather than flat and circular. September showed this by crocheting models of both normal red blood cells and red blood cells affected by sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is most prevalent in people of Sub-Saharan African descent. It is also one of the diseases commonly faced in low-income areas. The lack of resources in these areas makes it difficult for them to afford testing and treatment for individuals with sickle cell anemia. The symptoms of sickle cell anemia usually begin when a person is about six months old. Symptoms include episodes of pain caused by the irregularly shaped red blood cells becoming trapped in the blood vessels, restricting blood flow to other areas of the body. The lack of oxygen flow to the tissues causes feelings of fatigue. Other symptoms include infections, swelling in the hands and feet, vision problems, and delayed growth. Studies have shown that several severe psychological symptoms can also result from sickle cell anemia.
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September’s project was about sickle cell anemia. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are produced in the bone marrow and are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues. Anemia is a disorder of the red blood cells in which there are too few red blood cells relative to the amount of oxygen that needs to be transported. Anemia can affect anyone, but it most commonly affects infants and pregnant women. It is a very common condition, affecting almost one quarter of the population. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are crescent shaped rather than flat and circular. September showed this by crocheting models of both normal red blood cells and red blood cells affected by sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is most prevalent in people of Sub-Saharan African descent. It is also one of the diseases commonly faced in low-income areas. The lack of resources in these areas makes it difficult for them to afford testing and treatment for individuals with sickle cell anemia. The symptoms of sickle cell anemia usually begin when a person is about six months old. Symptoms include episodes of pain caused by the irregularly shaped red blood cells becoming trapped in the blood vessels, restricting blood flow to other areas of the body. The lack of oxygen flow to the tissues causes feelings of fatigue. Other symptoms include infections, swelling in the hands and feet, vision problems, and delayed growth. Studies have shown that several severe psychological symptoms can also result from sickle cell anemia.