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Saturday, 12 July 2014

The Sickle Cell Anemia Prevention

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By Coleen Torres


This is type of sickle cell disease in which the body manufactures red blood cells that takes the shape of a sickle cell. There do not really exist proven ways of sickle cell anemia prevention although patients can live longer and better lives if proper precaution are taken in their day to day lives.

This measures range from regular body checkups according to the recommended time frame of between 3-6 months, drink sufficient fluids to avoid dehydration and avoiding smoking or staying in smoky areas. Patients should be re relaxed and should also avoid crowded places and strenuous activities besides having thorough and timely eye examinations.

To prevent infection of the disease patients should be regularly and completely vaccinated or immunized against all common ailments. Children should undergo each and every vaccination they are supposed to at the required time. These vaccines are like the pneumococcal vaccine which is a vaccine against pneumonia; they should be immunized against haemophillus influenza which causes menenngitis, and also meningococcal vaccine and hepatitis b vaccine.

Patients should undergo an annual skin test for tuberculosis. Prolyphalytic antibiotics should be administered to prevent common but serious and opportunistic ailments found in juveniles and patients of these anemic diseases. These drugs are like the penicillin which is administered to anemic patients between 2 months and 5 years of age.

Patients should also adhere to strict nutrition and diet supplements. Sufficient fluid intake is prime in importance to avoid dehydration. Every day diets should provide enough calories, fats, proteins, minerals and also vitamins. Fatty acid like omega three found in soybean oil and some types of fish enhances the red blood cell membrane thus making it hard for them to sickle according to some unproven studies. Vitamins can be found in daily intakes of supplements of b6 and b12 vitamins and also folic acid. Meat, soybeans, poultry, watermelon, bananas, plantains and peanuts among others are types of foods that contain one or more of the required proteins for sickle cell anemia patients.

Sickle cell anemia is a long term ailment. As such it comes with different social psychological and emotional effects like stress leading to depression, stigmatization by the community among others. Poor medical facilities and health care personnel is also a major challenge facing these patients in the world especially the third world countries. Patients and care givers should acquire stress free living conditions to avoid common ailments like depression. The community should also make sure that these kinds of patients are not stigmatized or alienated from the rest of the society.

Some additional measures should be taken in dealing with the disease are; techniques of stress reduction like breathing and meditation, learning copying skills to avoid negative thinking and pain reduction too. Patients who can not leave home can find help through online platforms for research and support groups. Patients should also seek support from parents andor professionals who may give the best help at a relatively cheap cost.

To conclude, one can almost effectively prevent themselves from bouts of pain and infections caused by this type of anemia by living stress free, having supportive members of their community, fulfilling themselves spiritually and career wise and indulging in humorous activities besides having an all round nutritious meals each and evenness day of their lives.




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