About Haemophilia A:
- It is a hereditary bleeding disorder that happens when your blood doesn’t clot as well as it should.
- Causes:
- When you bleed, a series of reactions take place in the body that help blood clots form. This process is called the coagulation cascade.
- It involves as many as 20 different special proteins called coagulation, or clotting, factors.
- You may have a higher chance of excess bleeding if one or more of these factors are missing or are not functioning like they should.
- Factor VIII (eight) is one such coagulation factor. Hemophilia A is the result of the body not making enough factor VIII.
- How is Haemophilia A passed on?
- It is usually caused by an altered gene being passed on to a child by their parents (inherited).
- Men with the altered gene will have symptoms.
- Women with the altered gene (carriers) can have symptoms, but this is less common, and the symptoms are less severe than in men.
- Symptoms:
- The severity of symptoms varies. Prolonged bleeding is the main symptom. It is often first seen when an infant is circumcised.
- Other bleeding problems usually show up when the infant starts crawling and walking.
- Mild cases may go unnoticed until later in life.
- Symptoms may first occur after surgery or injury. Internal bleeding may occur anywhere.
- Symptoms may include:
- Bleeding into joints with associated pain and swelling
- Blood in the urine or stool
- Bruising
- Gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract bleeding
- Nosebleeds
- Prolonged bleeding from cuts, tooth extraction, and surgery
- Bleeding that starts without cause
- Treatment:
- Healthcare providers typically treat hemophilia A with factor replacement therapy.
- Healthcare providers will inject concentrated factor VIII into your bloodstream.
- Factor VIII replaces the missing blood protein, or factor, that helps blood to clot.
Key Facts about Von Willebrand Disease (VWD):
- VWD is a blood disorder in which the blood does not clot properly.
- Cause: People with the disease have low levels of von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps blood clot, or the protein doesn't perform as it should.
- Most people with the disease are born with it, having inherited it from one or both parents.
- Symptoms:
- VWD does not always cause symptoms unless you have an injury.
- Sometimes it's found when you have more bleeding than usual after surgery or giving birth.
- Symptoms of VWD can include:
- bruising easily
- frequent nosebleeds
- bleeding gums
- bleeding more than usual after an injury or cut
- heavy periods
- Some people also have more severe symptoms, such as:
- heavy bleeding that's difficult to stop, for example, after an injury or procedure
- blood in your poo
- blood in your pee (urine)
- pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint
- Treatment:
- VWD can't be cured.
- But with treatment and self-care, most people with this disease can lead active lives.
