What Is Hemophilia

By Author: Rohan BMD
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Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder in which the blood normally does not clot. Hemophilia patients bleed for relatively more hours after injury than others. This bleeding can also be internal especially in knees, ankles, and elbows and can damage organs and tissues and may be life threatening.

Overview:-

Hemophilia is mostly inherited through genes from parents to children and can rarely be acquired. It’s common in men. The two main types of haemophilia are A and B. In type A which is more common clotting factor 8 is missing and in type B clotting factor 9 is missing. Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how much clotting factor is in your blood. About 7 out of 10 people who have hemophilia A have the severe form of the disorder.

Symptoms:-

The symptoms of hemophilia include:- Lengthy bleeding, Excessive bruising, Swollen joints, Tender muscles, Excessive bleeding from the gums, tongue, or mouth following injury (seen particularly in infants and toddlers), Heavy bleeding after tooth extractions or other invasive dental procedures
Severe bleeding after injuries or operations

Causes:-

Mostly ...
... hemophilia is an inherited disorder, meaning that a person is born with hemophilia because of his genetic makeup. It’s a defect in one of the clotting factor genes lieing on the X chromosome. Hemophilia occurs in male as the gene is passed from mother to son. Though it’s mostly inherited, it is possible for someone to acquire this through some genetic mutation. It also occurs if the body forms antibodies to clotting factors in the blood.

Diagnosis and Tests:-

If hemophilia is suspected, physician will study the family and personal medical histories. This information can be used to identify the genetic origins of hemophilia. Blood tests are carried out to study. how long it takes for blood to clot, levels of clotting factors, which clotting factors are missing. Blood test results can identify the type of hemophilia and its severity. In pregnant women suffering from hemophilia, doctors test the fetus for the condition as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Treatments:-

Hemophilia is treated by replacing of clotting factors that are too low or absent in a hemophilia patient. Patients receive clotting factors through injection or intravenously. Treatments for replacement is obtained from human blood or synthetically produced in laboratory. Some patients require replacement therapy regularly in order to prevent bleeding, while others may receive treatment only after bleeding begins and remains uncontrollable. Replacement therapies carry risks such as the possibility of developing antibodies, viral infections from human clotting factors, and damage to joints, muscles, and other body parts if treatment is delayed.

Alternatives:-

Alternative treatments include desmopressin for moderate forms of hemophilia A, Antifibrinolytic medicines that prevent clots from breaking down,
In the future - gene therapies.

Preventions:-

Though there is no proven way of preventing Hemophilia however there are ways through which excessive bleeding can be avoided. These are:
Regular exercise, Avoiding certain medications such as Aspirin, Following healthy dental regime

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