Sickle Cell Disease - What Is Sickle Cell Disease? - NHLBI, NIH
Sickle cell disease affects more than 100,000 people in the United States and 8 million people worldwide. In the United States, 9 of 10 people who have sickle cell disease are of African ancestry or identify as Black: About 1 in 13 Black babies are born with sickle cell trait,meaning that they inherited a sickle cell gene from one parent.

What is Sickle Cell Trait? Fact Sheet - NHLBI, NIH
Sickle cell trait occurs when a person has one copy of the sickle cell gene passed down from one parent, and a normal hemoglobin gene from the other parent. This fact sheet describes what sickle cell trait is, who is affected, how to know if you have it, and how to live well with sickle cell trait.

Enfermedad de Células Falciformes (Sickle cell disease)
(Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. In this fact sheet, learn about the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of SCD.) Print Length:

Sickle Cell Disease - Symptoms | NHLBI, NIH
Serious symptoms of sickle cell disease are emergencies and need treatment right away. Seek care or call 9-1-1 if you or someone else is experiencing: Severe pain. A serious pain event is sometimes called a “pain crisis,” “sickle cell crisis,” or “vaso-occlusive crisis.” Most people with sickle cell disease have this often-serious pain.

Sickle Cell Disease - Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH
This child has sickle cell trait and is a carrier of the gene for hemoglobin S. A 25%, or 1 in 4, chance of inheriting two copies of the gene for hemoglobin S. This child has sickle cell disease. A child with sickle cell disease may also have one copy of the gene for hemoglobin S and one copy of a gene for another faulty hemoglobin.

Sickle Cell Disease: Research, Programs, and Progress
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of painful and life-threatening genetic disorders that affect hemoglobin, the major protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. It occurs in nearly 100,000 people in the...

Sickle Cell Disease - Diagnosis - NHLBI, NIH
Newborn screening programs also find out whether your baby has sickle cell trait and is a carrier of the sickle cell gene. If this is the case, genetic counseling will be offered. When a child has sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease, their future siblings or your child's future children may be a carrier of the sickle cell gene.

Sickle Cell Disease Milestones in Research and Clinical Progress
In all types of sickle cell disease, at least one of the two abnormal genes causes a person’s body to make hemoglobin S, or sickle hemoglobin. Hemoglobin S can form rigid strands within red blood cells, changing them into a crescent or sickle shape, the hallmark of sickle cell disease. Sickle-shaped red blood cells are stiff and sticky, and tend

Sickle Cell Disease Fact Sheet - NHLBI, NIH
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. In this fact sheet, learn about the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of SCD. Print Length:

How Sickle Cell Disease May Affect Your Health - NHLBI, NIH
Eye problems: Sickle cell disease can injure blood vessels in the eye, most often in the retina. This is called sickle retinopathy. Blood vessels in the retina can overgrow, get blocked, or bleed. This can cause the retina to detach, which means it is lifted or pulled from its normal position. These problems can lead to vision loss.