What is the difference between sickle cell anemia and anemia ?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious, inherited condition affecting the blood and various organs in the body. It affects the red blood cells, causing episodes of sickling, which produce episodes of pain and other symptoms. In between episodes of sickling, people with SCD are normally well. Long-term complications can occur. Certain conditions can trigger sickling, such as cold, infection, dehydration or low oxygen. Good treatment, started early in life, can prevent complications. So, early diagnosis and specialist treatment are advised for SCD. Sickle cell trait is not the same as sickle cell disease. Sickle cell trait means you carry a sickle cell gene, but it does not normally cause illness. What is sickle cell disease? Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious group of conditions which are genetic (inherited). It affects the red blood cells in the blood. Sickle cell anaemia is the name of a specific form of SCD in which there are two sickle cell genes (see below). With SCD, the red blood cells have a tendency to go out of shape and become sickle-shaped (like a crescent moon) - instead of their normal disc shape. This can cause various problems - as described later. In between the episodes of illness, people with SCD feel well. SCD is therefore a group of conditions that cause red cells to become sickle-shaped. Sickle cell trait is not the same as SCD or sickle cell anaemia. Sickle cell trait means you carry a sickle cell gene, but it does not normally cause illness.

Regular anemia is usually caused by decreased bone marrow production. Sickle cell anemia is caused by the blood cells being shaped like sickles and unable to carry oxygen effectively. Blacks and people of mediteranain descent are more often carriers of this genetic trait

Sickle cell anemia is a specific type of anemia, and it's a genetic disorder found in people of African ancestry.