Google
Trusted Resources: Evidence & Education
Scientific literature and patient education texts
Managing Pain From Sickle Cell Disease
source: CVS Specialty, Inc.
year: 2022
summary/abstract:When you have sickle cell disease (SCD), living with pain can be an ongoing challenge. Pain is common in people with SCD. It’s also the main reason for going to the emergency room or hospital. Pain can be agonizing and keep you from doing the things you want or need to do.
Living with pain can also be hard because it’s not something you can see. Your pain is often misunderstood by others. Knowing as much as you can about your pain and SCD can help you remember that the pain is not “just in your head,” but that it’s real.
Causes for Pain
With SCD, your red blood cells are sickle shaped. These sickle cells are hard and sticky and can get stuck in small blood vessels. This blocks oxygen and blood flow to the nearby part of the body. Without oxygen, cells get damaged or die. Pain is your body’s response to this lack of oxygen.
Pain can come on suddenly. This is called a “pain episode,” and can be a sharp, intense, stabbing or throbbing pain. It may last a few hours to days, or even weeks. You can have pain in any part of your body, but it often happens in the abdomen (stomach), chest, lower back, arms or legs.
read more
+myBinderRelated Content
-
Today’s Faces of Sickle Cell Disease: Jennelle StephensonJennelle Stephenson was diagnosed with S...
-
Sickle Cell Prayer WarriorsThis group was created for members and f...
-
Jennifer ConcepcionFrom the moment she found out her daught...
-
Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease have worse cold and mechanical hypersensitivity during acute painf...Sickle cell disease (SCD) pain associate...
-
Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of AustraliaThalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia (...
-
Modupeoluwa BabawaleMs. Modupe Babawale is a passionate warr...
-
Chronic opioid therapy is more strongly associated with central sensitization in sickle cell disease than clinical p...Central nervous system sensitization (CS...
To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Powered by
Support for this site is provided by
This platform is made possible through a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and its member organizations. SCDAA's mission is to advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure.