Hemophilia, commonly referred to as the "royal sickness” is a hereditary condition that can cause uncontrollable bleeding in the patient. This occurs as a result of their blood's deficiency in a component that aids in clotting. If left untreated, it can be fatal.
The following are the most prevalent bleeding disorders out of the many diverse types that are there:
● Haemophilia A and Haemophilia B - Low levels of clotting factors in your blood can cause the disorders haemophilia A and haemophilia B. It results in significant or uncommon joint haemorrhage. Although haemophilia is uncommon, its complications can be fatal.
● Factor II, V, VII, X, or XII - Blood clotting or abnormal bleeding issues are linked to bleeding diseases caused by factor II, V, VII, X, or XII deficits.
● Von Willebrand's disease - This inherited bleeding condition is the most common. It occurs when the blood is deficient in the von Willebrand factor, which aids with blood clotting.
SymptomsBleeding problems can present with symptoms like:
● Heavy bleeding from minor incisions or dental work
● Easy bruising
● Excessive and unexpected nosebleeds
● Bleeding gums
● Joints start to bleed
● Extreme menstrual bleeding
● Bleeding excessively after surgery
TreatmentDepending on the type of disorder, different therapies, including medication and factor replacement therapy, may be used to treat bleeding disorders.
When you have an accident or plan to have surgery, you may need to receive treatment on a need-to-know basis or daily to avoid bleeding episodes.
Medications
Among the medications used to address bleeding disorders are: Antifibrinolytics
Desmopressin (DDAVP) - a hormone produced by humans, Immune-suppressing drugs, and vitamin K supplements.
Factor Replacement Therapy
Using clotting factors created in a lab or obtained from blood donors, factor replacement therapy replaces the missing clotting factor.
Factor replacement treatment might consist of:
● Bypassing medicines
● Fresh frozen plasma
● Clotting factor concentrates
If you are also suffering from this genetic disorder, then going through counselling is a great idea to prevent the disease.
Dr. Lalit Raut, Hematologist & Stem Transplant Physician, MD-Medicine, Lybrate
