Sickle cell anemia is a heritable disease caused by a mutation in the gene that provides instructions for the production of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This mutation causes the red blood cells to become deformed and adopt an inflexible “sickle” shape that has difficulty traveling through small blood vessels.
Although the most common symptom of sickle cell anemia is pain, fatigue also frequently occurs and can affect patients’ quality of life.
Causes of fatigue
Fatigue in sickle cell anemia is thought to be the result of insufficient oxygen reaching muscles and other tissues. Sickled blood cells have trouble traveling through the smallest blood vessels, which means that muscles and tissues are not getting the oxygen they need.
Sickle cell anemia also causes chronic pain and inflammation, which can interfere with sleep, leading to fatigue. Both chronic and acute pain (vaso-occlusive crisis) can make getting a restful sleep difficult.
