Awareness Empowering Caring

Sickle Cell sufferers can often be short on patience and less than cooperative when engaging with others. A reason for this could be the following fact. Any person suffering from Anaemia is also suffering from hypoxia.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that hypoxia refers to a condition in which there is a decrease of oxygen supply to the brain, even though there is adequate blood flow. An anaemic person will find that their blood oxygen levels vary from day to day, dependant on the anaemic state of their circulatory system.

Hence the following symptoms of hypoxia will vary from time to time. They include inattentiveness, poor judgment, aggression, loss of inhibitions, memory loss, an inability to motivate ones self, a false sense of well-being, and a decrease in motor coordination. Individuals are affected in different ways.

When hypoxia lasts for longer periods of time, and the condition is exasperated by severe pain, (such as that present in a "Sickle Cell Crisis"), stress, or even a change in circumstances, (such as hospitalisation) the above symptoms can be aggravated.

In their work concerning air rage, Professor Helen Muir and Professor John Moyle, of the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield University, in their paper called Contributors to Disruptive Behaviour, state that even in normally healthy persons, lowered oxygen levels in the air can induce hypoxia.

Any of the following will exasperate the affects. A diet high in acid forming foods, proteins and foods high in sugars and fats or just a heavy meal can also induce hypoxia by diverting blood levels from the brain to the digestive system. Sugar tends to bind healthy red blood cells and hinder their ability to carry oxygen. Even a smoke filled room can bring about hypoxia. This alone can result in the following behavioural symptoms in even normally healthy people. Aggression, shortened temper, confusion, a false understanding of what is happening around them, short term memory loss, poor judgement, loss of inhibitions, no insight, delayed reaction time, poor movement co-ordination and drowsiness.

When the effects of this is added to smoking or even small amounts of alcohol. But especially intensive pain, these symptoms are more notable, resulting in a tendency for the sufferer to react negatively to those involved in the situation around them.

Taking this information into account, there is a need for those caring for the sickle cell patient; to be aware of the fact that hypoxia is present in the sufferer. Therefore these behavioural symptoms are a result of the medical problem, not of the person’s normal characteristics. Patients should therefore be treated with this fact in mind, and not as though the patient is being deliberately awkward.

To lessen the affects of hypoxia, a peaceful situation with patience given by the carer is required, whilst a speedy lessening of the pain that is aggravating the situation will help.

Dr Thomas of St. Thomas hospitals in London said that sickle cell problems has suffered from a low profile and poor understanding among clinical staff. This has meant that sickle cell patients have often not had the treatment appropriate to their needs.

Brent hospital and St Thomas hospital have developed a process of treating Sickle Cell Patients that has resulted in a 75% decrease in admissions to hospital (from 20 to 5) and a 30% decrease in Sickle Cell Crisis in their patients. They state that patients with sickle cell disease may be followed by primary care practitioners. That records need to be maintained and available to enable immediate pain control therapy upon admission, as this has been shown to lessen the length of hospitalisation, as well as reduce the pain for the patient.

Patients should be managed with input from comprehensive sickle cell centres where specialized medical resources can be obtained. Comprehensive sickle cell centres should have facilities to evaluate, treat, and counsel those with any of the complications of the disease. Centres should have support staffs including patient educators, genetic counselors, psychiatric support, vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dietary and health care providers all working together as a multidisciplinary team to solve the complex medical, psychological, and social problems associated with these diseases.

Dietary supplements that can increase the quality of the patients life and lessen the likelihood of a Sickle Cell Crisis have been shown to be:-

A balance vitamin and mineral formulae
Folic Acid
Omega 3 oils
Co Enzyme Q 10
A balanced diet high in alkaline forming foods, that is fruits and vegetables

References

SICKLE CELL SOCIETY (2002)Massage therapy in the treatment and management of sickle cell anaemia. London

(accessed 19th June 2002).

THE SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION (SCARF 1988) A case for the use of natural holistic therapies in the treatment of sickle cell disorder, an integrated approach. London: Melville Jones (The Millennium Report).

www.healthnotes.com/

News Line. October 2002, Volume 2, Issue 4

Balch F & Balch P 1997 Prescription for Nutritional Healing. New York. Avery Publishing Group.

Bryan M 2007 Gods Healthy Way. www.healthforce.org.uk

Holford P 2000 The Optimum Nutrition Bible. London. Piatikus