Symptoms Of Hemophilia

Hemophilia occurs because there is a mutation in one of the genes that cause the protein that aids in blood clotting to work incorrectly or not at all. Only X chromosomes contain this missing or damaged chromosome. Women can pass the hemophilia gene to their offspring, but rarely get hemophilia themselves. Females seldom have bleeding problems due to hemophilia. To genetically contract this disease, both of a woman’s X chromosomes must be missing or inactive. While this disease is primarily inherited, sometimes a child remains the first person in the family to have hemophilia. Hemophilia needs to be diagnosed and treated, or hemophiliacs may have such health hazards as bleeding in the joints, bleeding that can damage the brain, and death if bleeding occurs in the brain. Here are five of the primary symptoms of hemophilia.

Unexplained Or Excessive Bleeding

Individuals with hemophilia bleed longer than others without the disorder do. Bleeds may happen internally or externally, determined by the amount of clotting material in the blood. In mild hemophilia, individuals only bleed after a significant injury, surgery or trauma. Patients who often have mild hemophilia don’t know they have the disease until they have a tooth removed, are seriously injured or have surgery. Some women won’t know they have mild hemophilia until heavy menstrual bleeding or after childbirth.

Individuals with moderate hemophilia have prolonged bleeding following injuries or have bleeds that seem to occur for no apparent reason. Severe hemophilia frequently have unexplained or excessive bleeding. This excess of blood might result in a hemophilia diagnosis if it was previously unknown before the incident occurred. When many different injuries happen, and may frequently have internal and external spontaneous bleeding episodes they need to be treated immediately.

Continue reading to discover another common symptom.

Blood In Urine Or Stool

Blood in the urine or stool can occur for many reasons, including hemophilia. If you have pink, red, or brown urine, contact your physician for further testing and treatment, as you may be bleeding internally. Gross hematuria occurs when a person can see the blood when they urinate. Microscopic hematuria is when the blood in the urine can only be seen through a microscope.

If you have specks of blood in your urine, see your doctor. They will do a medical history, physical exam, urinalysis, and may also perform other tests to determine the source of blood.

You may have a hard time seeing blood in the stool. Sometimes a test is necessary to discover whether or not you have blood in your stool. But if you have blood on the toilet paper after you have a bowel movement or see a black, tarry substance in your stool, you may be bleeding internally. Your healthcare provider will do some tests to help.

Keep reading for the next symptom.

Excessive Bruising

Excessive bruising remains a symptom of hemophilia. Also, if a person’s bruise takes longer than three weeks to heal completely, hemophilia may be indicated. Usually, a bruise happens when a body part is bumped or otherwise injured. First, the area of the skin becomes red, then turns a dark purple or blue. By the time the bruise begins to turn green and yellow, it remains nearly healed. Hemophiliacs bruise so quickly they may appear to bruise for no apparent reason. The blood vessels near the skin break and bleed and can’t stop soon due to a lack clotting ability in the blood. If you have frequent, excessive bruising which doesn’t heal, you’ll need to speak with your healthcare provider.

Get ready for the next symptom of hemophilia.

Joint Pain And Swelling

Hemarthrosis causes tingling, swelling, redness, and stiffness in the joint. If you have hemophilia, you may have these symptoms. While the symptoms feel like arthritis, they also can be a prime sign of hemophilia. Hemophiliacs whose blood doesn’t clot may experience bleeding into the joints that cause joint pain and swelling one or two times per week. If your family's medical history includes a history of hemophilia, tell your doctor. They may perform a synovial fluid analysis to determine the cause of your joint discomfort. Your doctor will take a small sample of the fluid in your joints and have it tested. They may also conduct a blood test for the clotting factor in your system. After your health care provider determines whether you have hemophilia or not, they can start reducing your joint swelling and pain.

Continue to learn about the symptom that appears following vaccinations.

Unusual Bleeding After Vaccinations

Vaccinations usually only cause a tiny amount of blood loss, and a small bandage will take care of the problem. By the time you get home from the doctor, your bleeding should have stopped. But if you experience unusual bleeding after vaccinations, your blood may not be clotting properly. Hemophiliacs may have such a decreased level of the activity of blood clotting factors that unusual bleeding occurs. Receiving a routine vaccination can cause a great deal more bleeding and bruising than usual.

For this reason, patients with hemophilia still need to get their shots but must take precautions. If the shot can be given in the skin rather than a muscle, do so. Once the shot has been given, firmly press down for several minutes right where the needle went in. Many shots can be given under the skin rather than in the muscle and still work correctly. Place a bandage firmly over the area, and put an ice pack on the injection site if it starts to swell.