One of the diseases that greatly affect the body's balance and vital functions are chronic blood diseases, such as hemophilia. The danger of this disease lies in the fact that its symptoms do not appear early, but are discovered suddenly when exposed to an injury or surgical intervention. Learn with us in this article about the most important causes, types, and symptoms of this disease, the most dangerous complications, and the approved treatment methods.
What is bleeding hemophilia?
Hemophilia is a chronic disease and a rare hereditary blood disorder. It is related to the difficulty of blood clotting naturally, which means bleeding continues for a long time from wounds or injuries. Some cases may even experience bleeding inside the body from joints or muscles without injury, so it requires careful medical follow-up to reduce its complications.
What are the types of hemophilia?
Types of hemophilia are divided into 3 types, and they differ according to the factor missing in the clotting process, in addition to the prevalence of the disease and possible symptoms. These types include the following:
1.Hemophilia A
Hemophilia A is the most common type and constitutes about 80% of cases. It is caused by a defect or deficiency in clotting factor VIII. It is highly prevalent in males, and ranges from mild, moderate, and severe cases.
2.Hemophilia B
Hemophilia B has a prevalence of 15% and is caused by a defect or deficiency in the clotting factor IX. It mainly affects males, and is less common than type I because factor IX is stable in the body for a longer period.
3.Hemophilia C
It is the least common type, representing no more than 5% of cases. It is caused by a deficiency of clotting factor
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Causes of hemophilia bleeding
There are many causes of hemophilia bleeding, including hereditary and acquired factors, and include the following:
- Genetic defect: or hereditary defect, which is the most common cause, as a mutation occurs in the gene responsible for the production of clotting factors, whether factor VIII or IX, which leads to their decrease or complete absence.
- Lack of clotting factors: Some patients may suffer from a severe lack of factors responsible for clotting, and the more severe the deficiency, the more serious the disease is.
- Transmission of the disease via the
- Some acquired factors: The infection may be acquired due to other diseases, such as immune diseases that attack the body and expose it to clotting factors, which disrupts its function.
What are the symptoms of hemophilia?
The disease is usually discovered and symptoms of hemophilia appear in early childhood, especially when someone suffers cuts or bruises while playing. These symptoms include:
- Prolonged bleeding after an injury, during tooth extraction, or after surgical operations.
- Large bruises appear frequently with minor injuries or even for no apparent reason.
- Exposure to recurrent nosebleeds (epistastesus) that last for a long time without being able to stop it.
- Bleeding in the muscles and manifests itself in pain, swelling and swelling of the muscles, and difficulty in movement.
- The appearance of dark blood during urination or defecation due to bleeding in the digestive system or urinary tract.
- Bleeding in the joints appears in the form of severe pain and swelling, with stiffness in the knee or ankle joint.
- In some serious cases of hemophilia, the patient may suffer from severe headaches, frequent vomiting, and convulsions.
What are the complications of hemophilia bleeding?
Sometimes the patient may neglect to diagnose and treat the bleeding disorder hemophilia, which exposes him to many serious complications such as:
1. Muscle and deep tissue bleeding
The hemophilia patient is exposed to bleeding in the muscles and deep tissues due to blood pooling that puts pressure on the nerves and blood vessels, leading to muscle weakness with numbness and loss of sensation in the affected area.
2. The nervous system is exposed to bleeding
If treatment is neglected, the patient may be exposed to bleeding in the brain or spinal cord. This is the most serious potential complication, leading to convulsions, loss of consciousness and permanent disability.
3. Exposure to internal bleeding
Internal bleeding may occur repeatedly in large joints such as the elbow, knee, or ankle, causing severe pain with swelling, and later difficulty in movement.
4. Chronic joint damage
As a result of repeated bleeding, the joints are exposed to permanent damage, as the cartilage erodes and tissue fibrosis occurs, resulting in joint stiffness and lifelong mobility impairment.
5. Chronic anemia
As a result of constant blood loss due to hemophilia, the patient suffers from chronic anemia, paleness of the face and skin, constant exposure to dizziness, and decreased energy and physical activity.
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Diagnosis of bleeding hemophilia
Hemophilia bleeding is usually diagnosed by a doctor specializing in blood and vascular diseases to obtain an accurate result by taking the following steps:
- A comprehensive medical history of the patient: This is to find out any information related to the inheritance of the disease or its transmission from parents to children, and to collect the necessary information about the number of times bleeding occurs, whether in a child or an adult patient.
- Clinical examination: The doctor examines the patient and evaluates the signs and symptoms appearing on the body, noting any recurring bruises or exposure to prolonged bleeding after a surgical procedure or even removing teeth.
- Basic blood tests: which evaluate the efficiency of clotting factors by measuring the prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).
- Some specialized tests: which are used to detect the type of hemophilia and measure the severity of the condition by determining the level of clotting factor 8 in type A or clotting factor 9 in type B.
- Genetic testing: Some doctors recommend genetic testing to detect the mutations that cause hemophilia if you plan to get married and have children.
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Treatment of hemophilia bleeding
Although hemophilia is a hereditary disease, modern medicine has provided effective and advanced treatment solutions that help control bleeding at any moment and prevent complications so that the patient can enjoy a safe life. Among the most important treatment methods are:
1. Prophylaxis preventive treatment
The patient is usually given regular prophylaxis once or twice a week to compensate for absent clotting factors and avoid bleeding after an injury or wound.
2. Compensating the missing worker
After diagnosing the disease and knowing the type of hemophilia, the doctor replaces the missing factor through intravenous injections that contain substances manufactured in the laboratory that contain clotting factors, or from natural factors extracted from the blood of donors.
3. Drug treatment
Pharmacological treatment is divided into supportive treatment that relieves symptoms, such as safe analgesics to relieve joint and muscle pain, in addition to medications that treat mild hemophilia, such as desmopressin, which is used to stimulate the body to produce more clotting factor, and anti-fibrotic medications to stabilize clotting and reduce bleeding, especially after wounds or minor operations.
4. Gene therapy
Gene therapy is one of the advanced treatments that represents the next future in the treatment of hemophilia. This treatment is still under study because it aims to correct the genetic defect that causes bleeding and hemophilia.
5. Emergency care when bleeding occurs
If a child or patient experiences sudden bleeding, he or she must go immediately to the nearest emergency department and be given an immediate dose of the missing or deficient clotting factor to stop the bleeding.
Frequently asked questions
Below we answer the most important questions we receive about hemophilia bleeding:
What does a hemophilia patient eat?
A hemophilia patient should receive balanced nutrition rich in vegetables and fruits with whole grains to support and strengthen blood vessels, in addition to proteins such as fish, chicken and legumes and avoid processed foods and harmful fats.
Can a hemophilia patient get married?
Yes, a hemophilia patient gets married and there is nothing preventing that, but it is necessary to consult doctors before marriage to assess the possibility of transmitting the disease to children, and continuous medical follow-up is necessary to ensure a stable life with your partner.
What is the bleeding disorder hemophilia?
The bleeding disorder hemophilia, as we mentioned, is a rare hereditary disease that results from a deficiency of one of the clotting factors in the blood, which makes the body unable to stop bleeding easily after injury or wounds as it happens in normal cases.
Start immediately diagnosing and treating hemophilia within Al-Mousa Specialist Hospital in Al-Ahsa using the latest diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices and technologies. Take the initiative and book your appointment with a group of the best doctors specializing in blood and vascular diseases through our website or the hospital numbers shown, to receive integrated medical care and an effective treatment plan.
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Hemophilia_ Cleveland clinic
