Sickle Cell Education

What is Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia are serious inherited conditions that affect red blood cells. They are passed down from parents through genes and cannot be “caught” like an infection. These disorders alter how oxygen is carried in the body, impacting health significantly.

Key Differences

• Sickle Cell: Affects the quality of haemoglobin, causing red blood cells to become stiff, sickle-shaped and prone to blocking small blood vessels.
• Thalassaemia: Affects the quantity of haemoglobin, resulting in fewer red blood cells to transport oxygen effectively.

Symptoms & Complications

Symptoms of SCD often emerge after 5 months of age and can include:

• Recurrent infections
• Anemia and fatigue
• Periodic episodes of severe pain (crises)
• Yellowing of eyes and skin (jaundice)
• Organ damage, stroke and heart complications

Normal red blood cells circulate for about 120 days; sickled cells last only 20–30 days and can get stuck in small vessels, causing chronic pain.

Treatment

SCD is often managed with blood transfusions that increase normal red blood cells, deliver oxygen, help unblock vessels and alleviate pain. Treatments continue to improve, allowing people to live longer, healthier lives with proper care. The NHS notes that patients requiring regular transfusions may need around 100 blood donors per year to survive and thrive.

Facts & Figures (England)

• Approximately 450,000 people carry an unusual gene for sickle cell or thalassaemia.
• Around 13,000 people live with sickle cell disease; about 700 have beta thalassaemia major.
• SCD predominantly affects people of African and Caribbean ancestry (1 in 4 West Africans, 1 in 10 Afro-Caribbeans).
• Demand for red cell units for sickle cell patients continues to rise year on year.

Myth vs Fact