Getting older brings big changes for everyone. People with sickle cell disease face these changes too.
The good news is that people with sickle cell disease are living longer than before.1 In 2008, most people lived to about 50 years old. Now in 2022, most people live to about 60 years old.1,2
People with sickle cell disease develop all of the complications that individuals without the disease experience. It is very important that they see a primary care doctor to address all of the problems that everyone faces as they age. Some of these problems include:
How Aging Affects People with Sickle Cell Disease
People with sickle cell disease start to feel older sooner than other people. The good news is that they have fewer pain crises as they get older.1 They may also look younger than individuals without sickle disease.
However, older people with sickle cell disease still have pain. The pain is more often chronic and comes from both sickle cell disease and problems everyone face as the age. They might get:
Families and doctors should watch for:
If a person with sickle cell disease also has obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, they may experience more serious health problems from each condition.
Changes in the Body
As bodies get older, they don’t work as well. This includes making new blood cells.
Many older people with sickle cell disease get worse anemia. Anemia means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This happens because their bodies can’t make new blood cells as fast.1,5
Kidney Problems
Kidneys clean waste from your blood. As people get older, kidneys don’t work as well.1
This is important for people with sickle cell disease. Your doctor might suggest that you:
Doctors need to watch closely for signs the medicine is causing problems.3,5
Patients and families should watch for the following conditions that need an urgent medical evaluation:
• Fever of 101° F or higher
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Increasing tiredness
• Abdominal swelling
• Unusual headache
• Any sudden weakness or loss of feeling
• Pain that will not go away with home treatment
• Priapism (painful erection that will not go down)
• Sudden vision change
Getting older brings big changes for everyone. People with sickle cell disease face these changes too.
The good news is that people with sickle cell disease are living longer than before.1 In 2008, most people lived to about 50 years old. Now in 2022, most people live to about 60 years old.1,2
People with sickle cell disease develop all of the complications that individuals without the disease experience. It is very important that they see a primary care doctor to address all of the problems that everyone faces as they age. Some of these problems include:
How Aging Affects People with Sickle Cell Disease
People with sickle cell disease start to feel older sooner than other people. The good news is that they have fewer pain crises as they get older.1 They may also look younger than individuals without sickle disease.
However, older people with sickle cell disease still have pain. The pain is more often chronic and comes from both sickle cell disease and problems everyone face as the age. They might get:
Families and doctors should watch for:
If a person with sickle cell disease also has obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, they may experience more serious health problems from each condition.
Changes in the Body
As bodies get older, they don’t work as well. This includes making new blood cells.
Many older people with sickle cell disease get worse anemia. Anemia means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This happens because their bodies can’t make new blood cells as fast.1,5
Kidney Problems
Kidneys clean waste from your blood. As people get older, kidneys don’t work as well.1
This is important for people with sickle cell disease. Your doctor might suggest that you:
Doctors need to watch closely for signs the medicine is causing problems.3,5
Patients and families should watch for the following conditions that need an urgent medical evaluation:
• Fever of 101° F or higher
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Increasing tiredness
• Abdominal swelling
• Unusual headache
• Any sudden weakness or loss of feeling
• Pain that will not go away with home treatment
• Priapism (painful erection that will not go down)
• Sudden vision change
Getting older brings big changes for everyone. People with sickle cell disease face these changes too.
The good news is that people with sickle cell disease are living longer than before.1 In 2008, most people lived to about 50 years old. Now in 2022, most people live to about 60 years old.1,2
People with sickle cell disease develop all of the complications that individuals without the disease experience. It is very important that they see a primary care doctor to address all of the problems that everyone faces as they age. Some of these problems include:
How Aging Affects People with Sickle Cell Disease
People with sickle cell disease start to feel older sooner than other people. The good news is that they have fewer pain crises as they get older.1 They may also look younger than individuals without sickle disease.
However, older people with sickle cell disease still have pain. The pain is more often chronic and comes from both sickle cell disease and problems everyone face as the age. They might get:
Families and doctors should watch for:
If a person with sickle cell disease also has obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, they may experience more serious health problems from each condition.
Changes in the Body
As bodies get older, they don’t work as well. This includes making new blood cells.
Many older people with sickle cell disease get worse anemia. Anemia means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This happens because their bodies can’t make new blood cells as fast.1,5
Kidney Problems
Kidneys clean waste from your blood. As people get older, kidneys don’t work as well.1
This is important for people with sickle cell disease. Your doctor might suggest that you:
Doctors need to watch closely for signs the medicine is causing problems.3,5
Patients and families should watch for the following conditions that need an urgent medical evaluation:
• Fever of 101° F or higher
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Increasing tiredness
• Abdominal swelling
• Unusual headache
• Any sudden weakness or loss of feeling
• Pain that will not go away with home treatment
• Priapism (painful erection that will not go down)
• Sudden vision change