Warning Signs Linked To Christmas Disease (Hemophilia B)

Christmas disease, also known as hemophilia B, is an uncommon genetic disorder that causes an individual to have blood that does not properly clot. The blood in affected individuals does not clot correctly due to a deficiency of clotting factor IX. Around sixty percent of all hemophilia B cases are inherited from the patient's parents. Spontaneous mutations in specific genes are thought to be the cause of the remainder of hemophilia B cases. Christmas disease almost always occurs in males because the X chromosome carries the mutation that causes it. Christmas disease is diagnosed with the use of blood tests, including a partial thromboplastin time test, prothrombin time test, and a fibrinogen test. Christmas disease cannot be cured, so treatment focuses on managing its symptoms. Preventative measures, wound treatment, and factor IX injections are used to treat hemophilia B.

Prolonged Wound Bleeding

Prolonged wound bleeding describes when an individual's body takes longer than average to stop bleeding. Prolonged wound bleeding is different than the symptom of excessive bleeding. When a hemophilia B patient experiences a minor bleeding event like a nosebleed or gum bleeding, they do not always bleed more than a healthy individual. Instead, individuals with hemophilia B tend to bleed for longer. A longer duration of bleeding causes the affected individual to lose a greater quantity of blood than a healthy individual would. This prolonged bleeding occurs with minor cuts, surgical procedures, and tooth extractions. Any form of an internal wound is also known to bleed longer in hemophilia B patients. Prolonged wound bleeding becomes problematic because the loss of too much blood at a steady rate can cause the patient to become anemic or go into shock.