When a person acquires a normal gene and a sickle cell gene, the person is said to have a sickle cell trait (SCT). The difference between sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease (SCD) is that people with sickle cell trait do not exhibit any symptoms of sickle cell disease, and they pass their trait to their children. In sickle cell disease, the disk-shaped red blood cells become sickle-shaped due to defective hemoglobin. It is an inherited blood disorder. So children of SCD parents may develop SCD or SCT or be free from both. In some instances, people with SCT may experience heat stroke and muscular problems during dehydration and intense physical activity.
What Is Sickle Cell Trait?
Sickle cell trait is not a matured disease but a condition acquired from the sickle cell gene. We will go deeper into this topic.
