A Comprehensive Guide To Sickle Cell Anemia

Main Types of Sickle Cell Anemia

There are a few main types of sickle cell anemia. The most common and severe type is hemoglobin SS disease. The second most common type is hemoglobin SC, which has similar symptoms to hemoglobin SS with less severe anemia. Hemoglobin SB+ thalassemia is a type of sickle cell anemia that occurs when beta-globin gene production is affected, and red blood cells are smaller because of the reduced amount of beta protein. The symptoms aren't as severe as with the first two types. Sickle beta-zero thalassemia has similar symptoms to SB+ thalassemia and has the same cause, but the symptoms are more severe. Hemoglobin SD, SE, and SO are rare forms of sickle cell anemia and don't tend to have severe symptoms.

Continue reading to learn about the symptoms a patient should be aware of if they believe they might have sickle cell anemia.