Handling Hemophilia

Did You Know? About 15% of people with hemophilia will develop an antibody or inhibitor which greatly complicates the disorder

Approximately 75% of People Diagnosed With Hemophilia Do Not Receive Adequate Treatment

Hemophilia is Most Common in Male Births Effecting Approximately 1 in 5,000 Babies

While hemophilia is a rare condition, it is important to know the dangers of the disorder. A patient can go into adulthood before being diagnosed, causing greater risk. If a patient has a major surgery or injury and is undiagnosed, they could sustain life-changing injuries, or possibly death.

Please use this guide as a resource for knowledge and understanding of hemophilia cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and risks & complications.

01│Cause

Hemophilia is caused by genetic mutations of the clotting factors in blood. 70% of hemophilia cases are inherited and 30% of cases are from no known family history of hemophilia and are classified as random genetic mutations. These clotting factors are either changed or are missing in those with hemophilia.

02│Symptoms

Symptoms can vary based on the severity of hemophilia as there are three distinct severity levels:

• Mild – Those patients who will only experience bleeding complications after serious injury or surgery.
• Moderate – Those patients who may bleed for no apparent reason or have excessive bleeds from minor injuries.
• Severe – Those individuals who have frequent spontaneous bleeds, bleeding into joints and muscles, and are at high risk of excessive bleeding from injuries.

03│Diagnosis

Those with a known family history of hemophilia may be able to test a fetus in the womb for the disorder. In children and adults, a simple blood test can recognize the deficiency in the blood clotting factors. Instances of hemophilia are usually less severe if you are diagnosed at an older age

04│Treatment

Depending on the type and severity of hemophilia, the treatment can differ. The most effective and widely used treatment is replacement therapy, which provides the blood with missing clotting factor. There are replacement therapies that use both human blood and synthetic products. There are various therapies that can help hemophilia depending on the injury or cause. However there is no cure.

05│Risks & Complications

The most important risk for hemophilia is family history. The genetic nature of the disorder is extremely impactful to future generations. Some complications that are associated with hemophilia and they are:

• Deep internal bleeding
• Damage to joints
• Infection
• Adverse reaction to clotting factor treatment

To learn more about bleeding disorders, please visit: http://www.hemophilia.org

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References

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/facts.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemophilia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373327