drink water to stay hydrated. It’s important to carry a form of hydration with you and keep drinking water throughout the day. Frequent urination (sickle cell disease damages the kidneys, causing them to produce more urine than usual).
Remember, stay away from dehydrating drinks that include caffeine, alcohol or high sugar levels. These drinks make the kidneys excrete more water into the urine and can cause dehydration quicker, increasing the chances of a crisis.
GET PLENTY OF REST
Studies have suggested that sleep deprivation can be directly linked to sickle cell crises:
The combination of decreased sleep duration and increased sleep fragmentation during the night was associated with the greatest pain severity ratings while increased sleep duration and decreased sleep fragmentation (the ideal situation) was associated with the lowest pain severity ratings.
These results suggest that the combination of a sleep fragmentation and sleep duration impairment may be particularly harmful and provocative of increased pain severity in patients with SCD.
It’s suggested that 7-8 hours can help decrease to odds of painful flare-ups occurring, so rest up!
We hope these tips help!
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.