Overcome Fatigue without using Drugs/Medication

Sickle cell disease has debilitating effects on every aspect of a patient’s life, through their lives. Every part of the body and aspect of life is affected. Blood moves in every part of the body.

Fatigue is one of the top three symptoms of sickle cell disease that affected daily life.  It is common among sickle cell patients. In warriors fatigue is natural. The red blood cells life is short. Imagine you are doing a work which would have been done by 10 people a lone. You will get tired easily, that’s true. That’s what happens in the body of a person with sickle cell disease when it’s trying to keep pace with the destruction of red blood cells. The red blood cells in a person with sickle cell disease have a lifespan of 15-20 days and for a person without sickle cell they last for 120 days.

Fatigue is a significant effect facing many adults with sickle cell disease. There are many experiences ranging from general daily tiredness to episodic severe exhaustion. It can occur to the point of not being able to move, and you need to sleep all day. Some fatigue episodes do not have a consistent pattern and are not related to pain or hospitalizations.

In a number of cases insomnia and other sleep difficulties contribute to fatigue. Vicious cycle of insomnia further aggravates fatigue.  Think of a situation when you are feeling tired like a dead weight. Your mind is racing but your body won’t cooperate. You feel your body want to rest but sleep cannot come.

There are number of remedies that can help us overcome fatigue without using drugs.

Prevent fatigue

The first remedy is preventing fatigue is by avoiding it. When we were young they used to limit us on the amount of play episodes we had. But when we grow up we tend to over stretch our limit. You should know what much work for your body is. Also take breaks during your activities.

 Drink enough Water

Drink more water for better energy. Our bodies need a lot of water to stay hydrated. The more our bodies get dehydrated the more they become fatigued. Sometimes you feel tired simply because you’re mildly dehydrated. Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to hydrate your body. Drinking enough water a day you’ll feel better before you know it.

Reduce stress

It’s difficult to get completely over stress when you have sickle cell disease. Stress triggering factors are many but it can be reduced. Stress uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day. This could be listening to music, reading or spending time with friends. Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.

Have a right diet

A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals. Eat fresh foods. The fresher your food is, the more nutrients it will contain

Also eat fruits and juice green vegetables, apples and berries. Raw honey every morning with a banana will help you throughout the day. Oranges gives a burst of energy.

 

Food Supplement

If you’re not getting everything you need from your food, you may want to consider taking a daily vitamin. Consulting with a nutritionist or homeopathic doctor could get you started on a nutritional supplement regiment. Make sure to talk to your doctor about any and all nutritional supplements you’re considering.

I have found out that exercising regularly, breathing and mediation very helpful in combating fatigue.

Most warriors experience fatigue whether young or adult. Some have gone ahead to believe that sickle cell disease and fatigue are twins. Fatigue happens at any time of the day. To some people they can get fatigued even when they have done nothing. You can even get fatigued while eating.

Do you experience fatigue? At what time of the day and remedies do you use to overcome it? Please share with us your views in the comments section.

 Love Life!

Ssebandeke Ashiraf

Sickle Cell Symptom #2 - Infections

HI

My name is Lea and I have Sickle Cell Disease.

Ever since I was born i was handled with the utmost care so as ot to "break"

This meant, I never was allowed to do anything crazy like swimming, hiking, standing in the sun, eating outside home etc. While sometimes I may look back and think "wow! my parents were crazy paranoid" , I always feel a sence of gratiude for the best they did with the information they had at that particular time.

When you have Sickle Cell, your body is compromised from the get go. What do i mean? Okay, its quite simple. Knowing the nature of the disease; the sickling , destruction of red blood cells, anemia, reduced supply of oxygen and not to mention the extra amount of work the body has to do to ensure proper growth and development with its very little and stretched resources, the body is left defenseless. From the first doctors visit, a dose of penicillin is prescribed to up those defenses. However, this still doesnt hide the fact that Sickle Cell Warriors are quite suceptible to infections. 

From an article by Catherine Booth, Baba Inusa, Stephen K. Obaro on the International Journal Of Infectious Diseases , this is what I found out.

Infection is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD). The sickle gene confers an increased susceptibility to infection, especially to certain bacterial pathogens, and at the same time infection provokes a cascade of SCD-specific pathophysiological changes. Historically, infection is a major cause of death in SCD, particularly in children, and it was implicated in 20–50% of deaths in prospective group studies over the last 20 years. Worldwide, it remains the leading cause of death, particularly in less developed nations. In developed countries, measures to prevent and effectively treat infection have made a substantial contribution to improvements in survival and quality of life, and are continually being developed and extended. However, progress continues to lag in less developed countries where the patterns of morbidity and mortality are less well defined and implementation of preventive care is poor.  SCD increases susceptibility to infections and the underlying mechanisms for susceptibility to specific pathogens.

Since you all know the clinical manifestations of SCD result from two key processes: vaso-occlusion (blood vessel obstruction by sickled red blood cells) and hemolysis (break down of red blood cells). Sickle cells, along with non-sickled RBCs, leukocytes, and platelets, form cell groups, which adhere to the vascular endothelium, causing obstruction of small blood vessels. This tiny circulatory obstructions lead to acute and chronic tissue damage and death, with multisystem effects, particularly in bone, lungs, brain, kidneys, and spleen.

Causes of Infection in SCD #10003 

Causes of Infection in Sickle Cell Disease

Impaired Spleen Function

The spleen has a key role in the increased susceptibility to certain bacterial infections seen in SCD. It functions as a phagocytic (protective cells i.e. white blood cells) filter, removing old and damaged cells and blood-borne microorganisms, and also produces antibodies. Individuals with SCD typically suffer from reduced and in some cases, lack of splenic function. The sluggish circulation through the spleen, high rates of O2 extraction, and local acidosis cause deoxygenation of HbS, promoting sickling, which leads to congestion and swelling of the sinusoids of the spleen with sickled cells. This can cause diversion of blood within the spleen, bypassing the normal filtering mechanisms. Macrophages (large stationary white blood cell) engulfing the abnormally shaped cells may become ‘blocked’, impairing their phagocytosis (ingestion of bacteria) of other particles.

Individuals with SCD hence they cannot mount a rapid specific response to captured organisms. Local infections can readily become systemic and this, in combination with the loss of the spleen's filtering function, can permit overwhelming sepsis (presence in tissues of harmful bacteria and their toxins, typically through infection of a wound) to develop. The main pathogen of concern is S. pneumoniae, though severe and systemic infections with H. influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and salmonellae also occur. Before preventive measures, children with SCD were 30–600 times more likely to develop invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), including pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia. Overwhelming sepsis can develop rapidly with no obvious primary source of infection, resulting in shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, adrenal hemorrhage, and death within 24 to 48 hours. Mortality can reach 35–50% from septicemia and 10% in meningitis. The risk is confined almost exclusively to young children, with a reported incidence of 5.8 per 100 in children aged less than 3 years, 1.1 per 100 in those aged 5–9 years, and 0.6 per 100 in those aged over 10 years in the pre-treatment era.

While it is theoretically conceivable that children affected by SCD in malaria hyper-endemic settings like Kenya may be at increased risk of death from other pathogens such as malaria and invasive salmonellosis, poor diagnostic facilities and the high childhood mortality rates call this assertion into question. Well-planned longitudinal cohort studies to define the etiologic agents that predominate in SCD morbidity and mortality in this region are urgently needed.

Deficiencies in Micronutrients

Zinc is known to be important for immune function, so low levels in SCD have been suggested as a contributory factor in susceptibility to infection. Zinc deficiency is associated with lymphopenia (abnormally low levels of immune building white blood cells). Zinc deficiency may affect 60–70% of SCD patients. High protein turnover increases requirements, while hemolysis releases zinc, which is lost via the kidneys as renal tubular damage impairs reabsorption. At the same time poor diet and inadequate intestinal absorption could reduce intake. A study in 21 zinc deficient children suggested that giving supplements reduced the incidence of bacterial infections and cut hospital admissions.

Genetic Factors

Despite sharing the same underlying genetic mutation, the range of severity in SCD patients is striking, with some patients disabled by frequent crises and long-term complications while others live virtually normal lives. Individuals are also differently predisposed to particular pathological manifestations of the disease. This suggests that the SCD phenotype is multi-genic: since many unlinked genes are involved in the underlying extreme processes in SCD (such as destruction of sickled cells or endothelial adhesion), variation in genes at multiple locus points may modify outcome. Complexities in a number of genes involved in the immune response have been suggested as contributing to increased susceptibility to infection in SCD.

Mechanical Factors

The pathological effects of SCD can themselves create an environment supporting infection. Children with SCD are predisposed to osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone/bone marrow). The bone marrow space is expanded to accommodate the increased hematopoiesis (formation of blood/blood cells) needed to compensate for chronic hemolysis (red blood cell destruction), and oxygen demand is high. At the same time circulation is sluggish. Together these factors render bone vulnerable to vaso-occlusive (obstruction of blood vessel) episodes and infarction (tissue death). Areas of necrotic (dead) bone act as focus for infection, which becomes established via hematogenous (bloodstream) spread.

Edwardsiella tarda is another enterobacterium that has been reported with increased incidence in SCD. Increased gut permeability and biliary sludging in SCD is likely to be responsible for this association. It may be that patchy ischemia and infarction of bowel secondary to micro vascular occlusion permits gut bacteria to invade the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream.

Another consequence of micro vascular disease is its association with acute chest syndrome. SCD carries an increased risk of prolonged and severe respiratory infections due to Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and other pathogens, particularly in children prone to pain or micro vascular sequestration, such as those with SCD.

Finally, SCD patients may be predisposed to certain iatrogenic (illness caused by medical examination or treatment) infections as a result of therapeutic interventions. Blood transfusion is commonly used to treat complications, particularly aplastic crisis or splenic sequestration (when Hb falls acutely) and acute chest syndrome, priapism, or strokes (when exchange transfusion is used to reduce the proportion of HbS). In general such programs are potentially associated with increased risk of blood-borne infections, particularly hepatitis B and C and HIV. Although all blood products in developed countries are screened for these viruses, standards in other countries may not be so exacting, so early hepatitis B immunization is recommended as a preventive measure. 

Now it is clear as day that my parents weren't crazy in being vigilant. As a sickle cell warrior speaking from experience, it is better to prevent than to treat. Sickle Cell is an expensive disease, however, it is way cheaper and less stressful to manage than to treat and bring the body back to balance when in crisis.

Next week we look at the effects of the infection on Sickle Cell Warriors and how we can prevent them. Until next time.

Love Life!

Lea

Sickle Cell Symptom #1- Anemia

Living with anemia has taught me a lot about pacing myself. Pacing myself means slowing down for the sake of my body.

For any Sickle Cell Warrior, Anemia is a lifelong symptom we have to live with. Living efficiently in a way that one is aware and conscious of their body. Many times, we are called lazy or unreliable because we are unable to do work that strains our bodies.

Personally, I would like to climb Mt Kilimanjaro before the year ends. This however may not be advisable the doctor says, because of my body's inability to carry enough oxygen throughout my body. And going to a place with very low oxygen levels, is really pushing my body and blood in ways that could cost me my life. So the doctor says. What exactly is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition in which one doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your tissues. Having anemia may make you feel tired and weak.

And because I have Sickle Cell Disease, there is constant deformation of normal red blood cells to sickle red blood cells which then leas to rapid destruction of Sickle cells. Hence the name Sickle Cell Anemia

Anemia is lifelong, starting in the first year of life as the fetal hemoglobin level falls. The average red cell survival is reduced from a normal of 120 days down to an average of 10 to 20 days in sickle cell anemia. This produces anemia, a high reticulocyte (immature red blood cells) count, and a large reproduction of red cell precursors in the bone marrow to compensate for the destruction of red blood cells. Other problems related to the anemia are jaundice/yellowing of eyes and skin (elevated indirect bilirubin), changes in bone structure, and a high lactic dehydrogenase. In later childhood and early adult life, pigment gallstones are very common, related to increased breakown of hemoglobin. These cause cholecystitis (inflammation of gall bladder) in many individuals and removal is advocated by many as soon as stones are documented.

How do you know you have Sickle Cell Anemia?

·         Fatigue

·         Susceptibility to infection

·         Delayed growth and development in children

·         Episodes of severe pain, especially in the joints, abdomen, and limbs

·         Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)

·         Brown or red urine

·         Leg ulcers

·         Failure to thrive in infancy

·         Symptoms of gallstones

10003 Symptoms of Anemia

One thing to note is this, when one is Anemic, they have no sufficient oxygen circulation in the blood. Oxygen functions to sustain life and without it we are prone to many inadequacies due to a weakened the body.

The way the world treats Anemia is by using supplements that will lead to formation of new Red Blood Cells and Blood Transfusion of packed cells.

How i chose to bring balance to my body to avoid Anemia is through food. Food that build the Red Blood Cells and food that oxygenate the blood. You can learn more about this on an upcoming post that seek to enlighten on uses of food to manage Anemia.

Do you think I should still climb Mt Kilimanjaro?

Love Life!

Lea

TRANSITION FROM PEDIATRIC TO ADULTHOOD IN SICKLE CELL PATIENTS

Before 1970s even in the industrialized world the life expectancy of a person with sickle cell was 14 years. Although most sickle cell warriors in Sub-Saharan Africa, still die before 5 years of age, but at least a reasonable number can transition to adulthood. Because most of the people with sickle cell disease died in their infancy the health-care was concentrated in caring for children and young adolescents and young adults.

Sickle cell has been considered a childhood disease. Most pediatric departments have well organized sickle cell medical services, but most adult hospitals lack the facilities for the adult patients.

The major challenge in sickle cell management is transitioning from pediatric to adulthood. Most sickle cell warriors find it extremely difficult to "accept life" as it is. According to my observation severe crises occurs when approaching adolescent/teen years. During this period the body wants to behave like other bodies at the same age yet its growth speed is slow. Girls want to see their breasts and hips grow. For boys they want to see their voice deepens. The slow response to growth and peer pressure from colleagues leads to stress and depression. Often some warriors find themselves excluded from their peers because they cannot keep up with the pace of body development. That's where the myth of people with sickle cell disease are anti social is born. I have been asked several times why sickle warriors are anti social but that will be a topic of another day. 

The major challenge for transition is lack of health care transition from pediatric to adulthood. Most of the doctors and nurses who handle people with sickle cell are pediatrics who are specialized in treating children. These are people who understand children not adult. If a person is blessed to survive childhood challenges you find yourself in a position where al most nobody "understands" you. In this case warriors find themselves out of specialized treatment centers. Most sickle cell warriors get lost in the transition from childcare to adult care.

Patients with sickle cell disease who transition from childhood to adulthood continue to develop physical complications. They also start to be affected by the disease psychologically.

While there are many advances in the treatment of sickle cell, there are still challenges in ensuring that the medical system and psychosocial system supports timely access to needed preventive and disease management protocols.

Due to lack of comprehensive care programs for adults and young adolescents with sickle cell, are forced to rely on emergency rooms to manage acute pains.

There is a need for comprehensive transition care programs to cater for young adolescents and adults with sickle cell disease. This is to make sure that transition programs are developed and education about transition can begin at an early age.

I understand the transition for most people is not smooth. Please share with us your transition journey.


Love Life!
Lea

WHAT TO EXPECT IN SICKLE CELL NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING & DIETETICS

That antiseptic-latex-glove-hospital ‘smell’ wafts around & it hits you that this is the fifth crisis that has sent you to the A&E in just a month. Your medications don’t seem to be working as efficiently as the pamphlets assured you & now your physician has recommended you see the dietitian. He’s handed you the dietitian’s name and telephone number and says that he would like you to make an appointment. While you nod your head in agreement, your mind screams, “There is no way I want to do this. The doctor is out of remedies & now he’s sending me to seek help from a chef in a lab coat! Aaahhhh!!!”

It’s true, in some peoples’ minds dieticians & nutritionists are terms to simply dignify highly trained personal chefs or cooks. Some think that dieticians will just tell them what they already know. This is possible, but what you have read or been told by well-meaning friends and family may be incorrect. Dietitians are trained to critique the latest research, combine it with what we already know and provide up-to-date advice. This is why advice will change as time goes on and we learn more about how the body works, and the role food plays in health and disease. So, I thought I would give you a better understanding of what to expect when you’re expecting to see a registered dietitian (RD) or nutritionist (RN).

The first time you see the Registered Dietitian plan to spend about an hour. 90% of the appointment involves talking and during the first half you are going to be doing most of it. The other 10% is spent weighing you and reviewing other body measurements and food records.

Already things are looking up: no unpleasant procedures, no vile tasting medications.

After the introductory pleasantries, you should hear some rendition of “what brings you to my office today?”  This is an important question. The information in the medical chart doesn’t necessarily tell what you want out of the visit.  And that is a vital piece of information.  Because in the end, if your needs aren’t addressed, you’re never going to follow the recommendations anyway.

The answer to this question should be the largest part of your pre-visit homework.  If you are capable of answering it, the likelihood your appointment will be pleasant and helpful increases many fold. Think about why you are going and what you want to know. Write a list of questions if you have to, this will help guide the conversation and help the dietitian understand your perspective. Think of your most occurring Sickle Cell symptoms; think of what foods, illnesses, physical activities and environmental conditions that tend to trigger any symptoms.

What to Expect from a Nutritionist

But back to our imaginary visit…

You will be asked questions about your general health status, medical history, food allergies, the medications and supplements you  take, who does the cooking and shopping, what type of work you do (that gives some indication of how active you are at work), what type and amount of exercise (if any) you participate in.

Then there will be questions related to Sickle Cell: your control through the years, if and how often you experience pain crises & other symptoms, if and when you have had any mineral deficiencies, specific medications, herbs & supplements you are/ have been taking, their effects on you, etc.

If weight is an issue, you’ll be asked about your weight history, weight gain/loss programs you have tried, trigger foods and weight goals.  You will probably be weighed at this point.

Finally, you will provide a picture of your daily eating habits—what, how much and when do you eat? If you bring detailed food records (at least for 3-4 days) this part will go quicker and you’ll be able to give a more complete sense of your current diet. This will help you and the dietitian to look for trends and see the effect of different foods on your symptoms. If you aren’t involved in food preparation, bring along the person who is. And even if you do everything, having an additional person can help you remember more of what was said.

After explaining the basic dietary recommendations for Sickle Cell, you will together come up with a way to implement the recommendations in your specific situation; the challenge being to collaboratively develop a meal plan you can live with and actually enjoy that will help bring your blood sickling into better control.  And along the way you’ll formulate goals to achieve before the next visit.

And all through this part of the exchange you’ll be asked to demonstrate your understanding of the material covered. When you leave you should have written materials to help support what you discussed as well as a way to get in touch for additional questions.

Not so bad after all, right?

So when you do get a chance to visit a registered dietician or nutritionist, receive it with arms wide open, it will be one of the best things you ever did. Your physician can refer you to one or you can easily look for the nearest RD/RN closest to you on websites like LinkedIn or the Kenya Nutritionists & Dieticians Institute.

Warriors, win the fight to healthy living by hunting for a dietician today.

Love life!

Sharlene Mule.

SICKLE CELL SYMPTOMS & CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

How do you know one has Sickle Cell just by looking at them? How does Sickle Cell Disease look like?

I could say, jaundiced (yellow) eyes/skin, small physical stature, swollen abdomens etc. . But to truthfully answer your question, there is no particular way to tell if someone has Sickle Cell by just looking at them. Unless you're a keen observer and are very versed in the knowledge of Sickle Cell and its symptoms. Sickle Cell has no particular face.

Well, since it has no particular identifier, like any disease, there are definitely certain symptoms to look out for if you have Sickle Cell. Granted that human beings are different in there physiological make-up, these symptoms vary from one individual to the next. This means that, not everyone with Sickle Cell will exhibit the same symptoms. Different people may only experience a few or even in some cases none at all. In very rare cases does one person exhibit all of the symptoms.

Sickle Cell Symptoms

These clinical manifestations and symptoms result from changes of red blood cell deformability and fragility, increases in blood viscosity with blockage of small blood vessels, and red cell membrane changes contributing to hemoglobin polymerization(clumping), adherence of red blood cells to interior surface of blood vessels, and ingestion of foreign material by white blood cells. The end result is a hemolytic anemia, increased incidence of serious infection, and ischemic damage (damage caused by restriction of blood supply) throughout the body. In individuals with Sickle syndromes, there is a life-long risk of having complications,  however, there are specific ages when many of the manifestations develop. The more common problems in Sickle Cell syndromes will be presented by the age usual onset.

Early Symptoms
The majority of infants are being diagnosed at birth by newborn screening. The symptoms occurring in the first few months of life in infants with sickle cell syndromes are non-specific and include jaundice, irritability, colic, failure to thrive, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Findings include hepatosplenomegaly (simultaneous enlargement of live and spleen), pallor (unhealthy pale appearance), and heart murmurs. Unfortunately, undiagnosed infants may present with overwhelming infection as the first manifestation of the illness in the first few months of life.

Other Symptoms

• Anemia
• Sequestration Episode
• Aplastic Episode
• Infections
• Dactylitis : The Hand-Foot Syndrome
• Strokes
• Priapism
• Growth & Development
• Pain : Acute and Chronic Pain
• Retinopathy
• Nephropathy
• Pulmonary Complications
• Leg Ulcers 

In the next couple of weeks we will discuss each of the different symptomatic expressions of Sickle Cell. We will go into the causes of said symptom and how to manage the symptom.These are the most common symptoms which occur in many recorded cases. Personally, I have experienced very few of the symptoms above and also other symptoms that are not on the list. I'll be sure to give a brief on my experiences as we go through each of the symptom.

Sickle Cell Clinical Manifestations 

Have you experienced any of the symptoms above? Let me know your experience and how you were able to manage it. And if you feel I have missed something, comment below and let me know what I need to add onto the list.


Love Life!
Lea

SICKLE CELL: TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL YOUR PARTNER

Tina a friend of mine for a year now who is also a sickle cell warrior, has been grappling with a problem. She has been silently struggling with it for quite a long period of time.

I once asked her whether she is in a relationship and her answer was a NO. I went ahead to inquire whether she had dated before and Tina told me she has never dated before.

Tina told me that she wants to have her first date at 23. She is 22 years old now. I asked Tina whether it’s her wish to be single at her age against the norms. Many girls start dating as early as 12 years.

I dag deeper for more information because I believed telling me that she wanted to start dating at 22 was just a lame excuse. I found out that the reason she has for not dating is fear to disclose her sickle cell status to the partner.

This is the dilemma most warriors find themselves in on whether to tell or not to tell their partners. Many worry that they will lose their relationships when they tell their partners that they are sickle cell warriors. It is normal to feel nervous, embarrassed or even fearful of your partner’s reaction which may be verbal or even physical.

Disclosure is a process and has no written formula of when and how to tell. Some people prefer disclosing before the relationship, others want to disclose on the first date. Some want to do it after a certain period in a relationship. There are also those who will not disclose at all and prefer to have it “killing” them from inside.

My friend always wants to put it straight into the face of a man who wants to initiate a romantic relationship. She will tell from the start that she is a lady of ‘problems’ and whether you are ready to walk with her through the dark times.

It’s possible that your partner or spouse may change as time goes by. If you want to disclose you have to be aware that it may create new problems for you. There is still stigma attached to the whole subject of sickle cell disease and those who have it. Unsympathetic and prejudicial reactions are still common in some people.

There are important points you need to consider before disclosing;

• You need to ask yourself if the partner needs to know now or if it’s better to wait.
• Be prepared to talk about sickle cell in a clear way and provide basic information about what it means to have sickle cell disease.
• It may be helpful to have some information (printed material or websites) available to help with any questions your partner may have.

Do you have any experience you can share with us, where you had to disclose something private to a close friend, a lover or a spouse? How did it go and what was there response? Is there anything we need to keep in mind before approaching a sensitive subject.

Looking forward to hear your experiences.


Love Life!

Ssebandeke Ashiraf

Sickle Cell Warrior #13

10003 Sickle Cell Warrior #13

Lea
26 Warrior Years

"Sickle Cell is the best thing that ever happened to me.
It is not about the pain, the stigma and the depression. Its about what I have gained experiencing all of it. My ability to experience pain has increased my capacity to feel beyond that which many people can. And for me, stigma and depression are a constant test in my personal journey of self acceptance and self love. The daily physical , emotional and mental battles have made me the person I AM today, they prepare me to win this war I was born into. Everyday is an opportunity to live, love and learn. To those Sickle Cell Warriors who have yet to see their beauty, I urge you to trust the process, as messy as it is., and know that nothing happens by chance.

This title Sickle Cell Warrior, is a true priviledge."


Love Life!
Lea

NATURAL HEALING (2)

Herbal treatment has been and is still being widely researched and discussed in the scientific world. As we saw in our previous blog that it is important to know how the herbs work and their interactions with drugs and other foods. Especially for Sickle Cell Anemia, where many opt for alternative herbal treatment to avoid the vicious cycle of side effects from pharmaceutical drugs Today we look at some of the herbs commonly used, their uses, risks and interactions.

 

*SELECTED HERBS,THEIR COMMON USES AND RISKS

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC SOURCE NAME	CLAIMS AND USES	RISKS
Aloe(gel)	Aloe Vera	Promote wound healing i.e. leg ulcers	Generally considered safe.
Chamomile(flowers)	Matricaria chamomilla	Relieve indigestion.	Generally considered safe.
Garlic(bulbs)	Allium sativum	Lower blood lipids and blood pressure.	Generally considered safe; may cause garlic breath, body odor, gas and GI distress. Inhibits blood clotting.
Ginger	Zingiber officinale	Prevent motion sickness, nausea	Generally considered safe.
Ginkgo(tree leaves)	Ginkgo biloba	Improve memory, relieve vertiligo	Generally considered safe; may cause GI distress, dizziness. May Inhibit blood clotting.
Ginseng	Panax ginseng(Asian) P.quinquefolius(American)	Boost immunity, increase endurance.	Generally considered safe. May cause insomnia and high blood pressure.

Note: Allergies may occur for some herbs.

*Adopted from Table H18-2, Whittney.E and Rolfes.S, Understanding Nutrition, 10th Edition.

 

 

Herbal Remedies for Sickle Cell Disease #10003

 

**HERB AND DRUG INTERACTIONS

 

HERB	DRUG	INTERACTION	PATIENT GUIDELINES
Chamomile(flowers)	Anticoagulant(blood thinners) Warfarin	Prolong bleeding time.	Avoid taking with sedatives or alcohol.
Garlic(bulbs)	Aspirin,Warfarin	Prolong bleeding time.	Avoid use after surgery.
Ginger	Aspirin,Warfarin	Prolong bleeding time.	Use only briefly during pregnancy. Avoided by patients on anticoagulants or have a history of gallstones.
Ginkgo	Anticoagulant Acetaminophen	Blood thinning effect. Enhance effect.	Absorption is unaffected by food intake.
Ginseng	Asian-Anticoagulants American-Corticosteroids	Blood thinning effect hence increased likelyhood of hemorrhage. Enhance hormonal response.	Do not use with patients undergoing steroid therapy.
Licorice	Thiazide medications Potassium Cortisol	Counteract effects. Increased leading to Sensitivity to glycosides. Prolongs half-life which leads to Hypokalemia, high blood pressure and edema.

** Adopted from

i)Table H18-3, Whittney.E and Rolfes.S, Understanding Nutrition, 10th Edition.

ii)Herb and Drug Interactions in Manual of Clinical Nutrition Management.

 

Well folks those are some of the herbs we can look at today but please hit us up if you have questions on any other herbs of interest. Drop us a comment on your experience in using herbal remedies or ay questions you have about herbal remedies.

 

Love Life!

Joyner Musombi