Warning Signs Linked To Christmas Disease (Hemophilia B)

Unprovoked Bleeding

Spontaneous or unprovoked bleeding is a more frequent occurrence in hemophilia B patients than it is in healthy individuals. Unprovoked bleeding describes a symptom where an individual's tissues begin to bleed without any injury or physical contact. Unprovoked bleeding can include bleeding from the nostril, nasopharynx, or nasal cavity. Unprovoked bleeding may also include bruising or the leakage of blood from the vessels underneath the skin when there has been no physical impact on the tissues. Unprovoked bleeding also often consists of the affected individual bleeding into their joints without any physical impact or hemarthrosis. Some physicians would consider bleeding from the gums to be an unprovoked type of bleeding in patients affected by hemophilia B, even though irritation from teeth brushing can be implicated. Although unprovoked bleeding is a symptom that can indicate hemophilia Bl, it is less common in hemophilia B than it is in other coagulation disorders.

Excessive Bleeding

An individual with hemophilia B may experience excessive bleeding under several different circumstances that would not be problematic for a healthy individual. Surgical procedures are known to cause excessive bleeding in hemophilia B patients and can be deadly if the deficiency is severe or has not yet been diagnosed. It is not uncommon for an affected individual to bleed a larger quantity of blood than a healthy individual following a dental procedure like a tooth extraction. Many cases of hemophilia B are diagnosed shortly after birth, as an affected individual may bleed excessively from the umbilical cord and or umbilical area upon their delivery. Excessive bleeding can occur in individuals who have hemophilia B when their first teeth begin to erupt in infancy. In terms of accidental injury or trauma, hemophilia B patients tend to bruise and bleed from injury and or trauma to a greater extent than healthy individuals. Injury or trauma to an affected individual's head can be extremely problematic and life-threatening due to the risk of brain hemorrhage and pressure that excessive amounts of blood places on brain tissues.