Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder of the clotting system of the body becoming unable to restrain blood form various parts of the body. When cut and wound sites are not plugged by clotting process that disallows the flow of blood the condition is known as hemophilia. This may occur in the nose and gums but the problem becomes more severe when there is internal bleeding from organs like liver, intestine and so on and the blood is unable to clot.
Causes
The two main causes of hemophilia can be classified as genetic and non genetic. In genetic causes, hemophilia is actually inherited from the parent to the male child more specifically. This is due to the fact that the genetic factors for hemophilia is carried by the X chromosome since males have both X chromosomes as against females who have one X and one Y chromosome. The chances of hemophilia being transmitted to male child are more.
Symptoms
The symptoms of hemophilia is associated with pain and swell in the joints, particularly in the knees and elbows, heavy bleeding or bleeding for a prolonged time, due to an accident or other injury. Sometimes a target joint will tend to bleed most often and an internal bleeding is more severe, leading in muscles or after dental work are also symptoms of hemophilia. This disease is more prone to males than females but women are the carriers of this condition to their male children.
Hemophilia is of two types, hemophilia A and hemophilia B of which the first type is responsible for 80 percent of all cases. In this type, the protein coagulation factor VIII causes this condition and the abnormality occurs. In the second type factor IX affects proteins and represents nearly 20 percent of cases of hemophilia.
Although the chances of preventing this disease is remote, it can be treated through gene therapy avoiding certain non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as aspirin giving medications for oral bleeding like amino caproic acid and so on. The patient has to be educated on how to prevent injuries, how to manage minor bleeding and recognize them. If left untreated, hemophilia can lead to more complications like chronic hemarthroses that ultimately leads to joint destruction.
Treatment
The other types of treatment for hemophilia include plasma derived products and recombinant coagulating factors. It is very difficult to treat patients who have acquired hemophilia or those who are immune to therapy. For such people, pro-thrombin complex concentrates, immuno suppressive drugs and activated recombinant factor VII therapies should be administered.
It is essential to offer integrated care to the patient as soon as the presence of the disease is found so that further complications are avoided. For hemophilia A factor VIII replacement is found to be very effective that can be preserved in home refrigerators. This has led to improved preservation of joint function. These types of treatment are assured to be extremely safe.
