What Is Anemia?
3. Sickle Cell Anemia
This variety if anemia is one of the most dangerous. It is caused when the red blood cells take on an abnormal sickle shape, instead of their usual doughnut-like shape. This happens when there is an abnormal type of hemoglobin, which causes the red blood cells to form abnormally.
Sickle cell anemia is a type of hemolytic anemia. This means that the red blood cells will die sooner than they usually would, thus resulting in a lack of red blood cells overall. There is no known cure for sickle cell anemia, and patients can expect to live with unwelcome symptoms. Most will have a shorter than usual life-span.
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