How does sickle cell trait affect athletes?
While sickle cell trait is not a barrier to playing competitive sports, athletes with sickle cell trait have experienced significant physical distress, including collapse and death during intense exercise.
Can you play sports with sickle cell trait?
Although youngsters with sickle cell disease may participate in sports for fun, they are unlikely to play competitive sports like basketball or football because they need to avoid sports that involve overexertion, overheating, dehydration, or chilling—these conditions could set off a life-threatening crisis.
What problems can occur when an athlete has sickle cell anemia?
Athletes with sickle cell trait are potentially more vulnerable to other serious conditions such as gross hematuria, splenic infarction, exertional heat stroke, severe muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) and potentially even sudden death when participating in strenuous exercise under intense environmental conditions.
Can sickle cell trait turn into a disease when exercising?
Although sickle cell trait will not turn into the disease, it is possible to have clinical symptoms when exercising under extreme conditions of physical exertion and/or low oxygen levels.
Does sickle cell trait affect breathing?
People with sickle cell anemia can develop high blood pressure in their lungs. This complication usually affects adults. Shortness of breath and fatigue are common symptoms of this condition, which can be fatal.
Is sickle cell trait bad?
Sickle cell trait is NOT a disease and will never turn into a disease. People with sickle cell trait usually do not have any health problems. However, under extreme conditions a person with sickle cell trait can experience some of the same problems as a person who has sickle cell disease.
Does sickle cell trait cause weaken your immune system?
Sickle cell disease affects the spleen, which helps with the immune system. As a result, those with SCD have weakened immune systems and are more likely to get sick.
Is sickle cell trait a disability?
Sickle cell anemia requires ongoing treatment, medicines, and hospital stays. If your sickle cell anemia is so severe that it prevents you from working, you may be struggling financially. Because sickle cell anemia is a type of physical disability, you may qualify for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits.
Does sickle cell trait cause tiredness?
Fatigue is a common symptom associated with sickle cell disease. Due to the smaller size of our red blood cells, we cannot carry as much oxygen as those with healthier red blood cells. This leads to a lack of oxygen in our bodies and, ultimately, fatigue.
Can a person with sickle cell trait participate in sports?
1) There is no contraindication to participation in sport for the athlete with sickle cell trait. 2) Red blood cells can sickle during intense exertion, blocking blood vessels and posing a grave risk for athletes with sickle cell trait.
Can a sickle cell trait athlete cause splenic infarction?
Due to the lack of oxygen in high altitudes, athletes with sickle cell trait take a higher risk when participating in this environment. Splenic infarction can occur in athletes with sickle cell trait, particularly at high altitudes. Splenic infarction is tissue death in the spleen caused by a lack of oxygen to this vital organ.
What happens when red blood cells sickle?
Red blood cells can sickle during intense exertion, blocking blood vessels and posing a grave risk for athletes with sickle cell trait. Screening and simple precautions may prevent deaths and help athletes with sickle cell trait thrive in their sport. Efforts to document newborn screening results should be made during the PPE.
How to prevent complications from sickle cell trait?
Complications from sickle cell trait are often preventable. The first key to prevention in any case is communication. If you are aware that you have this condition, you should freely communicate this with the entire health care team, coaches, and any other adults working with you on a regular basis.