At a glance
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited blood disorders associated with severe pain and complications that can affect the entire body. This page provides information on SCD and anemia.
![Woman lying on a couch.](/sickle-cell/media/images/fever.jpg)
Overview
With SCD, the red blood cells die early, leading to a condition called anemia. Anemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body.