One out of every 400 African-Americans in the United States is born with sickle cell disease, a debilitating, extremely painful condition. Patients with sickle cell disease suffer from abnormally shaped, rigid and adhesive red blood cells. These abnormal cells serve as a barrier to blood vessels and cause “sickle cell crises,” an enduring episode that often leaves the sufferer incapacitated.
An individual with sickle cell disease can suffer a crisis at any time – the pain can last for hours, days or even weeks and is often severe enough to require a hospital stay.
These painful flare-ups associated with sickle cell anemia can be more frequent and severe in cooler temperatures.
Although medical experts can’t clearly explain why, there are studies that have found sickle cell sufferers consistently report acute pain after exposure to cold, usually within a few hours of initial exposure.
Cooler temperatures cause narrowing of blood vessels in the skin, hands, feet, nose, and ears. This response, as well as cold sensitivity, is greatly exaggerated in sickle cell anemia, as shown in medical studies, which revealed an association between the onset of
pain episodes and increased wind speed, which cools the skin significantly. This effect is exaggerated if the skin is damp, so it’s important to stay warm and dry. People also tend not to drink as much water in the fall and winter since there’s less sweat expelled.
The stress and excitement of the holiday season can, unfortunately, cause increased adhesion of the red cells, which can then cause flare-ups. Finally, the flu is more susceptible to happen, as well as strep throat is more common in the winter, creating even more physical challenges.
With that being said here, here are a few tips you can utilize to manage your sickle cell anemia symptoms:
STAY WARM
Always try to dress warmly in layers and carry, taking extra care to cover your hands and feet, which are more susceptible to be exposed to red blood cell restriction causing discomfort.
STAY HYDRATED
When you have sickle cell disease, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is
drink water to stay hydrated. It’s important to carry a form of hydration with you and keep drinking water throughout the day. Frequent urination (sickle cell disease damages the kidneys, causing them to produce more urine than usual).
Remember, stay away from dehydrating drinks that include caffeine, alcohol or high sugar levels. These drinks make the kidneys excrete more water into the urine and can cause dehydration quicker, increasing the chances of a crisis.
GET PLENTY OF REST
Studies have suggested that sleep deprivation can be directly linked to sickle cell crises:
The combination of decreased sleep duration and increased sleep fragmentation during the night was associated with the greatest pain severity ratings while increased sleep duration and decreased sleep fragmentation (the ideal situation) was associated with the lowest pain severity ratings.
These results suggest that the combination of a sleep fragmentation and sleep duration impairment may be particularly harmful and provocative of increased pain severity in patients with SCD.
It’s suggested that 7-8 hours can help decrease to odds of painful flare-ups occurring, so rest up!
We hope these tips help!
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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