Hemophilia symptoms depend on the type of hemophilia and the severity (mild, moderate or severe). Bleeding from an injury or surgery is usually the first symptom to indicate hemophilia. The condition causes clotting factors to be missing or not working properly, making blood clump together and bleed.
Some people with hemophilia have bruising easily or may develop large bruises after minor injuries. Bruising is a sign that the blood has not been able to clot properly, which can cause bleeding and pain.
Occasionally, a person with hemophilia can develop bleeding in the brain that may lead to death or other serious health problems. These bleeds are called subarachnoid hemorrhages. They can also occur after a fall or other trauma to the head.
Your doctor can help you find out if you or your child has hemophilia by taking blood from you, or looking at your family history to see if someone in your family has had the condition. Your doctor can also check to see if you have a genetic mutation that can cause this condition.
Most people with hemophilia are diagnosed when they are still very young, and most children are diagnosed within the first year of life. The type of hemophilia can be different, and there are many types of clotting factor proteins that can affect the coagulation system.
The main clotting factors are Factor VIII, Factor IX and Factor XI. These factors are made in the bone marrow, and work with specialized blood cells to stop bleeding.
Hemophilia is inherited in most cases. It is caused by a change in one of the genes on the X chromosome that provides instructions for making these clotting factors.
It is most common in males, but it can also affect females. Women who have a family history of hemophilia are often tested before they become pregnant, to prevent complications during childbirth.
Getting vaccinations is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for those with hemophilia because it helps reduce the risk of certain infections and other diseases that can cause bleeding. It also is a good idea to take regular vitamins and mineral supplements, such as iron and calcium.
Avoiding medicines that can affect your platelets is also important for people with hemophilia. These include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Always ask your hemoemophilia team before using these or other medicines, so you don’t aggravate your condition.
The treatment for hemophilia is usually injections of man-made clotting factors that help clot the blood. Your doctor will prescribe these injections based on your lifestyle and other medical concerns.
You can have a blood test to measure how much of each clotting factor is present in your blood. This can reveal if you have an inherited clotting factor deficiency and how severe your hemophilia is.
Some people with hemophilia are treated with man-made clotting factors as a preventive treatment, which can reduce or eliminate the need for injections. Others receive these treatments on a regular basis, in order to help keep their blood clotting normally and reduce the risk of bleeding episodes.
