Sickle cell anemia is a disease in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Another name for sickle cell disease is sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is inherited as a simple recessive disease. In normal red blood cells, the cells are usually flexible and round. However, in sickle cell disease, red blood cells become stiff and sticky. They are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. Because these cells are irregular, they can get stuck in small blood vessels. Small blood vessels slow or block blood flow. Without enough circulating red blood cells, a person's body cannot get the adequate amounts of oxygen needed to feel energized. There are many signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell disease usually appears after about four months of age. Anemia is a sign of sickle cell disease. Red blood cells typically live for 120 days before needing to be replaced with new ones. However, the sickle cells die after ten to twenty days. Episodes of pain are another symptom of sickle cell disease. Episodes of pain are one of the main symptoms of sickle cell disease. The pain develops because sickle-shaped red blood cells block the flow of tiny blood vessels to the abdomen, joints and chest. These episodes of pain that occur periodically are called attacks. Some patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease only experience pain a few times a year, whereas: Others may experience attacks of varying magnitude each year. Sometimes, if the pain is severe, patients may be hospitalized. Pain can also occur in the bones. To continue, hand-foot syndrome is also another symptom of sickle cell anemia. Usually, a patient will have swollen hands and feet. Middle of paper ......ficated by the World Health Organization. To continue, 70 percent of people with sickle cell disease live in Africa. Sickle cell disease is more common in people of Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean, and African heritage. Indeed, these geographic regions are the most prone to malaria. The genetic variant of SCD is linked to malaria. Therefore, wherever malaria occurs, there is also sickle cell disease. It is also thought that people with sickle cell trait are less likely to suffer from severe forms of malaria. It is estimated that sickle cell disease will affect between 90,000 and 100,000 Americans. Sickle cell disease affects a large percentage of people in Central America as well as significant numbers in South America, such as Brazil and the Caribbean. Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disease on earth.