Sickle cell anemia can cause a variety of signs and symptoms. The severity of these symptoms varies sharply from patient to patient. Some patients may experience mild symptoms while others may have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization.

Anemia is a common symptom of this condition. It occurs when a person has a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells in their blood, resulting in too little oxygen in the body and a lack of energy. This can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), shortness of breath, and delayed growth and development in children.

The most common initial symptom among people with sickle cell anemia is pain, usually in the hands and/or feet. The pain may be acute (the most common type, usually lasting from hours to days), chronic (lasting three to six months or longer) or a combination of both. Pain commonly experienced by people with the disease includes:

• Bone pain and joint pain
• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Back pain
• Arm pain
• Leg pain

Other common signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia include:

• Paleness (pallor)
• Rapid heart rate
• Fever
• Bloody urine (hematuria)
• Frequent urination (polyuria)
• Excessive thirst (polydipsia)

Although sickle cell anemia is present at birth, most people do not show symptoms of the condition until 4 months of age. Some people with the condition have mild symptoms, while others have severe symptoms that require hospitalization. People with sickle cell trait do not usually develop any signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia, although they may develop a milder form of the disease. Areas with low oxygen, however, may trigger symptoms in people with the trait. This includes areas of high altitude such as mountains and flying in airplanes.