|
| | |
Sickle cell anemia
Sickle cell anemia An inherited chronic anemia - caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells - exclusive to populations of African descent. If carefully monitored, women with sickle cell anemia can give birth to healthy babies.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Chronic
Ongoing or recurring. Chronic medical conditions include diabetes, epilepsy, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which a deficiency in the size or number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) or the amount of hemoglobin they contain limits the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the tissue cells. Most anemias are caused by a lack of nutrients required for normal erythrocyte synthesis, principally iron, vitamin B-12, and folic acid. Others result from a variety of conditions, such as hemorrhage, genetic abnormalities, chronic disease states or drug toxicity.
Blood
The life-maintaining fluid which is made up of plasma, red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets; blood circulates through the body's heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries; it carries away waste matter and carbon dioxide, and brings nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, heat, and oxygen to the tissues.
Cell
Fundamental structural unit of all life. The cell consists primarily of an outer plasma membrane, which separates it from the environment; the genetic material (DNA), which encodes heritable information for the maintainance of life; and the cytoplasm, a heterogeneous assemblage of ions, molecules, and fluid.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Sick role
An identity adopted by an individual as a "patient" that specifies a set of expected behaviors, usually dependent.
Sickle Cell Disease
An inherited condition in which an abnormality of the red blood cells causes a variety of serious medical and physical problems.
Sickle cell trait
Inheriting the gene for sickle cell anemia from only one parent. It causes no symptoms.
Sickle-cell disease
A genetically transmitted form of anemia, characterized by sickle-shaped red blood cells and abnormal hemogoblin.
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Seizure
Convulsions caused sometimes by a fever or by another serious condition such as epilepsy.
Sseparation anxiety
When an infant or toddler is anxious about being away from her primary caregiver. Infants can have this as early as 7 months, but separation anxiety usually peaks between a year and 18 months.
Separation anxiety
When an infant or toddler is anxious about being away from her primary caregiver. Infants can have this as early as 7 months, but separation anxiety usually peaks between a year and 18 months.
Severe combined immunodeficiency disease
When a child is born without most of the defenses of an immune system. SCID is also known as the "bubble" disease because people with SCID are isolated to avoid infection.
Sexually transmitted diseases
Diseases communicable by sexual relations, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, genital warts, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, HIV, hepatitis B, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
Sickle cell anemia
Skin disorders
Any disorder of the skin, including rashes, eczema, and birthmarks.
Sleep disorders
Any of the problems that disturb regular sleep, including night terrors, sleep apnea, or trouble going to sleep.
Small for gestational age
An infant who is not as big as could be expected given her gestational age is termed "small for gestational age." SGA babies are small because of slow development, not because they've had less time in the womb, like premature babies.
Smegma
A cheesy lubricating secretion from the sebaceous glands of the penis that enables the foreskin to retract smoothly over the head of the penis.
Solids
Foods given to babies other than formula or breast milk. Solids are usually introduced when an infant is around 6 months of age.
We thank you for using the Health Dictionary to search for Sickle cell anemia. If you have a better definition for Sickle cell anemia than the one presented here, please let us know by making use of the suggest a term option. This definition of Sickle cell anemia may be disputed by other professionals. Our attempt is to provide easy definitions on Sickle cell anemia and any other medical topic for the public at large.This dictionary contains 25007 terms. |
|
|
