#sicklecells

[empressempathidi]

Disclaimer: Y'all. I’m really trying to do better (Going to therapy, eating seeds 😏, & radically accepting these 🔥 #sicklecells in every breath, learning & practicing more #copingskills so I don’t pop off like I constantly did on here-especially in my 20s. Just know I’m Woosah-ing it out rn, my heart aches in rage & sorrow & what I really want to say would be laced with all kinds of F'N F-bombs. *Sigh* . . #Africa has the least amount of cases yet the #FRENCH (long & ugly history there so excuse me if it comes off as me sounding like an ass #sorrynotsorry) want to TEST there. FIND OTHER GUINEA PIGS! . “There is outrage among the black population in #France after two doctors on live television pushed for Africa to be the first place where coronavirus treatments be tested.

The doctors agree that Africa has LESS face masks & other ESSENTIAL health supplies and required treatment for #coronavirus patients BUT STILL PUSHED for THE CONTINENT TO BE USED for the experimental treatment of any potential #vaccine, treatment or cure. . On a local TV channel LCI, one of the #doctors named as Dr Jean-Paul Mira said “If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we do this study in Africa, where there are NO masks, NO treatment, NO resuscitation, a bit like it has been done in some studies in AIDS, where among PROSTITUTES, we TRY THINGS, because they are exposed, and they don’t protect themselves, what do you think?”

The other doctor also named as Dr Camille Locht joined the conversation saying “So YOU ARE RIGHT[…]we’re thinking in parallel to a study in Africa precisely to make this same type of approach w/BCG [vaccine]placebo.

I think there is a call for tenders that was released or that will be released & I think we will indeed seriously think about that too.”

So far there is no cure for the deadly virus but scientists around the world are still working on a potential vaccine.

There are no experimental #vaccines yet for usage as the world is still months behind a potential vaccine.

So the suggestions by these French doctors for Africa to be used to test any potential experimental vaccine has angered some who think the West continues to value Africans as less of other humans.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B-iFElEHmQ8/?igshid=2gmuw699vdw9

[healthpleasedigital-blog]

Know About Sickle Cells Disease

What is Sickle-cell disease?

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle-cell anaemia (SCA). It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin (haemoglobin S) found in red blood cells. This leads to a rigid, sickle-like shape under certain circumstances. Problems in sickle cell disease typically begin around 5 to 6 months of age.

A number of health problems may develop, such as attacks of pain ("sickle-cell crisis"), anemia, swelling in the hands and feet, bacterial infections, and stroke. Long term pain may develop as people get older. The average life expectancy in the developed world is 40 to 60 years.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia, which vary from person to person and change over time, include:

1) Anemia:

Sickle cells break apart easily and die, leaving you without enough red blood cells. Red blood cells usually live for about 120 days before they need to be replaced. But sickle cells usually die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a shortage of red blood cells (anemia).

Without enough red blood cells, your body can't get the oxygen it needs to feel energized, causing fatigue.

2) Painful swelling of hands and feet:

The swelling is caused by sickle-shaped red blood cells blocking blood flow to the hands and feet.

3) Episodes of pain:

Periodic episodes of pain, called crises, are a major symptom of sickle cell anemia. Pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to your chest, abdomen and joints. Pain can also occur in your bones.

The pain varies in intensity and can last for a few hours to a few weeks. Some people have only a few pain episodes. Others have a dozen or more crises a year. If a crisis is severe enough, you might need to be hospitalized.

Some adolescents and adults with sickle cell anemia also have chronic pain, which can result from bone and joint damage, ulcers and other causes.

4) Vision problems:

Tiny blood vessels that supply your eyes may become plugged with sickle cells. This can damage the retina the portion of the eye that processes visual images, leading to vision problems.

5) Frequent infections:

Sickle cells can damage an organ that fights infection (spleen), leaving you more vulnerable to infections. Doctors commonly give infants and children with sickle cell anemia vaccinations and antibiotics to prevent potentially life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia.

6) Delayed growth:

Red blood cells provide your body with the oxygen and nutrients you need for growth. A shortage of healthy red blood cells can slow growth in infants and children and delay puberty in teenagers.

Diagnosis

A blood test can check for hemoglobin S — the defective form of hemoglobin that underlies sickle cell anemia. In the United States, this blood test is part of routine newborn screening done at the hospital. But older children and adults can be tested, too.

In adults, a blood sample is drawn from a vein in the arm. In young children and babies, the blood sample is usually collected from a finger or heel. The sample is then sent to a laboratory, where it's screened for hemoglobin S.

If the screening test is negative, there is no sickle cell gene present. If the screening test is positive, further tests will be done to determine whether one or two sickle cell genes are present.

Additional tests

If you or your child has sickle cell anemia, a blood test to check for a low red blood cell count (anemia) will be done. Your doctor might suggest additional tests to check for possible complications of the disease.

Medications

Medications used to treat sickle cell anemia include:

Antibiotics:

Children with sickle cell anemia may begin taking the antibiotic penicillin when they're about 2 months old and continue taking it until they're at least 5 years old. Doing so helps prevent infections, such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening to an infant or child with sickle cell anemia.

Pain-relieving medications:

To relieve pain during a sickle cell crisis, your doctor might prescribe pain medications.

Hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea):

When taken daily, hydroxyurea reduces the frequency of painful crises and might reduce the need for blood transfusions and hospitalizations. Hydroxyurea seems to work by stimulating production of fetal haemoglobin, a type of hemoglobin found in newborns that helps prevent the formation of sickle cells.