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| Misconceptions and Myths about Sickle Cell Disease |
Like any
other disease, there are many misconceptions and myths associated with sickle
cell disease (SCD) because of low awareness. Misperceptions only make it more
difficult for those living with SCD to obtain the support and care they need. In this article, we share and debunk some of
these misconceptions and myths to help people understand facts about SCD and how
it affects them:
Sickle Cell Disease
is a “Black People’s” Disease
False! According
to reports from the National Institute of Health (NIH), sickle cell anaemia is
widespread among people whose families come from Africa, Central or South
America, Caribbean islands, the Mediterranean such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy,
and also India and Saudi Arabia. Note that Giovanna Poli, the 2009 Sickle Cell Poster
Child is white.
Sickle Cell Disease
is Contagious
False! People
cannot “catch” SCD. Someone can only get sickle cell by being born with it
because it is a genetically inherited condition. Both parents of a child must
carry the sickle cell trait or have the disease before their child can inherit
SCD. Since the disease is genetic, only people who received mutated genes from
both of their parents have it.
A Person Who
Carries the Sickle Cell Trait will Develop Sickle Cell Disease
False! Having
the sickle cell trait does not imply that one will automatically have the
disease. The trait and the disease are different. A person who is born with
only one copy of the sickle cell gene is said to have sickle cell trait and
cannot have SCD because it takes two copies of the sickle cell gene for a baby
to inherit SCD. It’s only when both parents have the sickle cell trait that
they can pass the disease on to their child. This explains why it is incredibly
important to always test for sickle cell trait or diseases. You can diagnose it
through a simple blood test or screening at birth.
SCD as an Incurable
Dilemma
False! Some
SCD patients have been treated successfully using the bone marrow
transplantation procedure. In the procedure, the doctor collects healthy cells
from a donor’s (a sibling) bone marrow and transfers them into the
patient. Also called the stem cell
transplant, the process is both very expensive and risky. Besides, an SCD
patient can also improve the quality of their life with healthy lifestyle changes.
People Born with
SCD Don’t Live Long
False! Before the 1990s,
SCD was quite life-threatening as many children born with it hardly lived to
adulthood. Thanks to advances in SCD
medication, care, and
proper lifestyle practices, SCD patients now live healthy and active long
lives. However, more work still has to be done to further improve SCD treatment
outcomes worldwide and particularly in developing countries.
The best
way SCD patients can lower their chances of difficulty living with the disease
is to get regular medical
checkups, follow-ups,
prescribed medications, preventive actions against unrelated infections, and a
healthy diet. Do you have any other information about sickle cell disease or
trait and doubt if it’s a myth? Ask me in the box below and I will be glad to clarify.
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