Lung and Heart Injury

Roughly 50 percent of those diagnosed with sickle cell disease will have some form of respiratory or pulmonary complications at some point in their lives. When mutated cells, made rigid due to mutated hemoglobin, try to pass through the heart and lungs, they often get caught and create blockages and tearing. In turn, vessel walls are damaged and scarring can begin to accumulate in the damaged areas. Acute chest syndrome is a common occurrence, often causing blood clots and tissue death due to a lack of oxygen and fresh blood.

Chronic dyspnea is a condition which targets the lungs and is commonly found among those with SCD. As in the case of acute chest syndrome, mutated blood cells wreak havoc on delicate lung tissue by blocking blood flow and damaging vessel walls. Between 40 to 50 percent of patient’s with sickle cell disease will suffer from chronic dyspnea; appearing in late adolescence and worsening over time.