Living With Haemophilia – Symptoms and Management

Overview

Haemophilia is a blood disorder, which is somewhat rare, and which hampers the blood’s ability to clot. Haemophilia is usually inherited, although there are different types of haemophilia.Haemophilia A, or Classical Haemophilia, is the most common form, and is caused by having reduced levels of factor VIII or 8, (a protein involved in clotting).

Haemophilia B, or Christmas disease, is caused by having reduced levels of factor IX or 9.The condition affects mostly more males than females. Normally, the clotting factors in the blood combine with blood cells called platelets to make the blood sticky when you cut yourself, stopping the bleeding. People affected with haemophilia have less of clotting factors in their bodies, which makes bleeding longer than usual.

Symptoms

Haemophilia can be mild to severe, and so can be the symptoms. It all depends on the level of clotting factors. The main symptom is that the bleeding doesn’t stop easily, other symptoms of haemophilia include:

• Skin that bruises easily
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Internal bleeding
• Bleeding gums
• Nosebleeds, that take long time to stop

Intracranial haemorrhage is a symptom of haemophilia, which is a serious medical emergency caused by the build-up of pressure inside the skull. It can cause disorientation, nausea, loss of consciousness, brain damage, and death.
Get medical attention if you or your loved ones experience the above listed symptoms. There are many specialist haematology hospitals in India. The haematology treatment in Gurgaon and Delhi NCR is especially advised, as it is known to be among the leading ones in the country. Among others, haematology treatment in Patna and Darbhanga is also well known.

Living With Haemophilia and Its Management

There’s no cure for haemophilia, but with treatment and management, a person with the condition can enjoy a good quality of life. Usually, genetically engineered clotting factor medicines are used to prevent and treat prolonged bleeding. These medicines are given as an injection by doctors. In milder cases, injections are usually only given in response to prolonged bleeding. More severe cases are treated with regular injections to prevent bleeding. Doctors, however advise that a few guidelines be followed by those living with haemophilia. These include:

• Avoiding contact sports, such as football and diving.
• Being careful while taking other medicines, as some can affect your blood's ability to clot, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Maintaining good oral hygiene and have regular trips to the dentist. Looking after your teeth and gums helps avoid problems such as gum disease, which can cause bleeding.

As mentioned above, there are hospitals in Gurgaon and Delhi NCR, hospitals in Patna and a hospital in Darbhanga for the specialized treatment of haemophilia.