The state health department is highlighting hydration, diet, sleep and other daily habits to help people with sickle cell disease reduce complications.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health is marking Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in September by encouraging people with the condition to adopt daily habits that support medical treatment, according to the agency.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which red blood cells become hard, sticky and C-shaped instead of round, according to DPH. Those misshapen cells can block blood flow, leading to pain, organ damage and anemia, and because they die early, patients face an ongoing shortage of red blood cells.
Complications range from mild to severe and can include blood clots, stroke, kidney problems and chronic pain, DPH said, and those risks can increase when combined with conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.
“A proactive lifestyle can significantly reduce complications and improve quality of life for those with SCD,” said Anna Gibbons, the department’s Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs nurse coordinator.
DPH recommended several daily habits: staying hydrated to keep blood flowing smoothly; eating a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and dairy; getting sufficient sleep to reduce fatigue; engaging in low-impact activity such as walking, swimming or yoga; and practicing stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing or meditation.
The department also urged regular doctor visits to monitor symptoms and catch complications early, and advised avoiding smoking, e-cigarettes and secondhand smoke, which it said can worsen inflammation and lower blood oxygen levels already reduced by the disease.
People seeking help quitting tobacco can contact the SC Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, text “READY” to 34191, or visit quitnowsc.org, according to DPH. More information on sickle cell disease and the state’s voluntary patient registry is available on the DPH website.
Based on a release from S.C. Dept. of Public Health.
