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Here is Everything You Need to Know about Haemophilia

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There is no way you can go through life without getting hurt or cut even once! And when you get a cut, you start bleeding. But since the blood clots after a while, you know that you are going to be alright. Things, however, become difficult when you are suffering from the inherited bleeding disorder called Haemophilia.In this health condition,you can suffer from internal bleeding or spontaneous bleeding even from minor injuries. This happens because the blood does not clot properly. Your blood contains proteins called clotting factors and they help to stop the bleeding. A lack of or low levels of these certain proteins called factor VIII (8) or factor IX (9) becomes the main characteristic of this disorder. While most cases are inherited, there have been some cases where people developed the symptoms at later stages of their lives. So, read on to know more about this disorder and keep a good health insurance policy handy as well.

What is Haemophilia?

Haemophilia is a bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot properly, causing spontaneous and excessive bleeding after a surgery or other injury. This is because blood either lacks or does not have enough blood-clotting proteins called clotting factors. If you have haemophilia, a small cut or injury can lead to excessive bleeding. If the condition is severe, it can cause internal bleeding, particularly in your elbows, knees and ankles. Internal bleeding can be life-threatening as it can damage your organs and tissues. Haemophilia is a genetic disorder and the severity of this disorder depends on the number of clotting factors in the blood. The less the clotting factors, the more severe the condition.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of haemophilia vary based on the severity, but the common symptoms include:

• Bleeding after a surgery or cut

• Bleeding of the mouth and gums after tooth extraction

• Bleeding after vaccinations

• Bleeding into the skin, muscle or soft tissue

• Blood in urine or stool

• Nosebleeds, which can be frequent and difficult to stop

• Bleeding in the head of a baby after a complicated delivery

• Bleeding into the joints, causing pain, swelling or tightness

Causes

Majority of haemophilia cases are inherited, which means a person is born with this disorder. It is caused by a mutation or change in one of the genes located on the X chromosome. These genes control and regulate the development of clotting factors which are needed to form blood clots.

In cases where there is no family history, a person may develop acquired haemophilia, which is rare. This occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack the clotting factors in the blood.The specific cause of acquired haemophilia is still unknown but is associated with other illnesses like cancer, drug reactions, autoimmune conditions or pregnancy.

Risk factors

The biggest risk factor is family history. Men are more likely to have this disorder than women. Again, this depends on the type of haemophilia. Haemophilia A and B are more commonly found among men than women. Haemophilia C affects both men and women equally because the genetic defect which causes this disorder is not related to sex chromosomes.

Diagnosis

If you have bleeding problems or if your doctor suspects haemophilia, they willrecommend some blood tests to find out if your blood is clotting properly, the number of clotting factors present and if any of the clotting factors is missing. The tests will also help them to detect the type of haemophilia and its severity.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the type of haemophilia, but it primarily involves replacing the missing clotting factors so that the blood clots properly. This is done by injecting commercially prepared factor concentrates. You can learn to inject this yourself to prevent bleeding episodes. Apart from this, treatment may also involve physical therapy and medications.

Conclusion

If you experience excessive bleeding following a cut or surgery, consult your doctor immediately. If the condition is diagnosed as haemophilia, your doctor will start the treatment based on the type and severity. Treatment costs can drain your savings, so having a health insurance plan can come in handy as it will take care of your medical expenses. One word of advice – before you purchase health insurance, check the inclusions and exclusions to avoid any claim rejections.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

Source: CDC

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