Know All About Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a clotting disorder of the blood and is transferred through genes. While females are believed to be carriers, the male members of the family are often affected by it. The royal family of the United Kingdom is also rumored to be affected by hemophilia.

Symptoms- Bleeding without any signs of clotting is usually the first symptom of hemophilia. The patient may bleed from the joints, muscles and tissues. Bleeding of the digestive tract is also fairly common in hemophiliacs. People with severe forms of hemophilia may bleed continuously and should be hospitalized immediately. Hemophilia can be classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on the level of blood clotting factor present in the blood. However, minor cuts or wounds are not a cause of concern for hemophiliacs. Spontaneous bleeding occurring within the joints and muscles, especially during the growing years is usually more dangerous. Continuous bleeding may aggravate into arthritis or cause numbness of nerves and may also result in loss of movement.

Diagnosis- Carrying out Blood tests is the only way to ascertain the degree of clotting factors present in the blood.

Treatment- Replacing certain factors of the blood can help to restore the lost blood in the body. The plasma proteins are injected into the body via the intravenous route. This procedure is not permanent and has to be repeated every time the patient starts bleeding. Severe hemophilic patients have to undergo regular blood transfusions in order to prevent excessive blood loss due to bleeding.

Mild hemophilic patients can be treated by an adequate dosage of Desmopressin. The medicine can be taken into the body with the aid of an inhaler although intravenous injections of  Desmopressin is the more frequently used.

Plasma protein pooling from a donor is another method for treating a hemophiliac patient. The proteins from the plasma of the donor are harvested separately before introducing them into the body of the hemophilic patient.

Precaution- However, proper screening of the donor is mandatory before any kind of blood factor transfussion takes place.