Congress will have special illumination for Sickle Cell Awareness Day

The National Congress will be lit up in red on Sunday - Photo credit: Pierre Tripoli/House of Representatives

The National Congress will be lit up in red on Sunday – Credit: Pierre Tripoli/House

The National Congress will be lit in red on Sunday (19) to mark World Sickle Cell Awareness Day. The date was set by the United Nations (UN) in 2008 as a way to draw attention to the disease, which is a genetic and hereditary disease characterized by changes in the blood.

Red blood cells become hard, sickle-shaped, making it difficult for oxygen to pass to the brain, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. There is no cure for this disease and it can harm the main functions of the body if the patient does not receive adequate care.

Complications of untreated disease include chronic anemia, painful crises with or without infection, growth retardation, lung infections and infarctions, stroke, infections and ulcers.

diagnose
Early diagnosis is made in newborn screening with a heel prick test. Among the main symptoms of people with sickle cell anemia are episodes of pain, hand and foot syndrome, infections, leg ulcers (often near the ankle), and isting blood in the spleen.

Symptoms can appear differently in each individual. Some have few mild symptoms, others have one or more signs. Symptoms usually appear in the second half of the child’s first year of life.

treatment or treatment
When the disease is detected, the child should undergo adequate medical follow-up, based on a comprehensive program of care. In this program, patients must be followed for life by a team of many professionals trained in sickle cell anemia to guide the family and the patient to detect signs of disease severity quickly, treat crises properly and practice procedures. to prevent it.

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