Shonelle Best HCA 240 6/21/2011 Blood Disorders

Within the human body there are two very important types of blood cells, the red blood cells and the white blood cells. The red blood cells operate in effort of carrying oxygen to the lungs. The white blood cells typically serve to defend tissues in the body that have the capability of setting up infections within the body. . There are different blood disorders that people of all ages and ethnicities are conflicted with. In some instances blood disorders may be the cause of serious illnesses and some deaths. Disorders may begin to affect an individual as early as in their childhood. There are various blood disorders, but, Anemia, Sickle cell, and Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia are the disorders that will be explained and discussed in the scenarios that were assigned. The cause of blood disorders, how they become diagnosed, treatment for the specific blood disorders, and preventive methods for blood disorders are essential in regards to understanding certain diagnosis. There are three scenarios that will be discussed throughout this paper. Jamie Lynn, a 10-year-old African American female, has been complaining of being tired all the time. She is pale and a picky eater. Her mother is a single mom with a small budget to feed a large family. Amy only eats pasta, breads, and hot dogs, and drinks only artificial fruit punch.

Jamie Lynn is suffering from the Iron Deficiency Anemia blood disorder. This disorder is one of the most common causes of anemia. Anemia is a condition that develops when the blood lacks the proper amount of healthy red blood cells. The red blood cells are the main transporters of oxygen to organs. Symptoms of anemia such as fatigue occur because organs are not getting enough oxygen to function correctly and it causes the individual to grow tired easily and very often. Certain forms of anemia are hereditary and infants may be affected from time of birth. Adolescent girls who do not have the proper amount of iron in their diet may become iron deficient due to inadequate dietary iron, inadequate growth requirements, and the onset of menstruation (Mulvihill,etl.,p132). Amy is too young to experience menstruation and therefore it is not a possible cause for her anemia. There is many symptoms for anemia and they vary according to the specific type of anemia, the underlying cause, and underlying health problems. The common symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia include actually eating or always craving ice, swelling of the tongue, and very dry lips (Mulvihill,etl,p.133). Jamie Lynns mother is unable to spend a lot of money on groceries and that may play a critical part in the bad eating habits that Jamie Lynn has. In order to help Jamies iron deficiency it would be very helpful if her mother would buy her some food and drinks that had a lot of vitamin C in it. Tony is a 7-year-old Caucasian male who has just moved to Atlanta and is visiting his new pediatrician for a kindergarten physical. His mom tells the nurse that she carries the trait and wants Tony to be screened for it.

Tony carries sick cell because his mother has the trait of sickle cell. Sickle cell is very common in caucasians, making the disease hereditary. Sickle cell is a disease which changes normal blood cells to round red blood cells. The red blood cells pass through blood vessels very easily. When someone has Sickle cell it makes it very hard for red blood cells to pass through the blood vessels, and that is merely because it is in a different form. The oxygen is halted and that can cause a lot of pain for the individual. Sickle cell causes a lifelong battle against health problems that can cause infections and serious illnesses, such as an individual having a stroke. Symptoms for someone who has Sickle cell are often painful and are caused in the event of the sickled cells getting stuck in the blood vessels. When that occurs then the blood flow is prevented from carrying out its normal function. When the blood flow is blocked it usually causes pain in the hands, feet, belly, back, or chest. The pain may last for hours or for days. Most people who have Sickle cell often have anemia, caused by a shortage of normal red blood cells. By a person having Sickle cell anemia, they may have an abnormal skin color, often looking very pale or flushed of skin tone. Jonas has noticed over the past several weeks that he is having ore bruised, or ecchymosis, all over the body. After coughing this morning, he noticed tiny red marks all around the eyes. Jonas has hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, which is a disorder that results in the development of multiple abnormalities in the blood vessels. There are different forms of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia including type 1, type 2, and type 3. HHT is difficult to determine because the severity of the symptoms, such as frequent nosebleeds, are common in the general population. Hereditary Hemorrhagic

Telangiectasia is widely distributed, occurring in many ethnic groups around the world. People who inherit this disorder, dominant gene pattern copied the altered gene in each cell. That alone is sufficient enough to cause the disorder. According to the online research I have done, in most cases, an affected person has one parent with the condition. The treatment for this disorder is supportive therapy including blood transfusions, supplemental iron administration to replace iron, and repeated mucosal bleeding (Professional Guide to diseases). In the future, HHT patient diagnosis by DNA sequence may be diagnosed. The diagnosis may come from visible aspects such as an individual having red spots on their lips, tongue, fingers, or nose. Internally medical specialist may even exam the intestines of an individual to make the appropriate diagnosis. This disorder is life threatening, and it needs to be taken seriously. The purpose of blood is to make sure that oxygen is carried throughout the body. There are several types of blood disorders. Anemia is the most common in the human body. If an individual has some type of anemia they may become easily fatigued and lose a lot of energy. The individual may also have an unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise, shortness of breath and frequent headaches, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, pale skin, leg cramps and insomnia. The causes for anemia vary with the type of anemia, the potential causes include blood loss, poor diet, and various problems with bone marrow. Doctors and medical specialist can perform test and physical exams on patients. Treatments should be directed at the cause of the anemia. In some cases, blood transfusions and the medication erythropoietin will correct anemia. The doctor will diagnose the patient with anemia base on their medical

history, a physical exam, and the results from the tests and procedures. There are ways to prevent anemia; eating a well-balanced diet that includes foods that have a good source of iron and iron supplements may help prevent iron-deficiency anemia. Amy, Marcus and Richard have different blood disorders and there are different factors that played key roles in them occurring. Diseases of the blood attack the body in different ways causing various effects. I have Anemia, and I am currently taking vitamins for the Anemia. References

Mulvihill, Mary, and Mark Zelman, Human Disease: A Systematic Approach, Sixth

Edition. Pearson Education, Inc Professional Guide to diseases.

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/h/hereditary_hemorrhagic_telangiectasia/treatment.htm Sickle Cell Disease http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/sickle-cell-disease-top