Hemophilia is a blood-clotting disorder that causes prolonged bleeding. When someone with hemophilia is injured, the blood has difficulty forming clots, which slows the healing process.

Causes of Hemophilia

Have you ever noticed how a cut heals? For a small cut, the bleeding is usually light and often stops on its own. That happens because normal blood clotting is working properly.

In people with hemophilia, the clotting mechanism is impaired due to a deficiency of one of the proteins called clotting factors. As a result, when a person with hemophilia is wounded, the blood cannot form a stable clot easily. Without proper care, there is a risk of severe blood loss that can be life-threatening to these individuals.

This shortage of clotting-factor proteins is generally inherited in their family. Gene mutations change the resulting protein, causing the relevant clotting factor to function poorly or to be absent altogether. Most people with hemophilia are male, though females can also be affected.

Hemophilia Treatments

Because hemophilia is an inherited condition, it is not considered curable. Even so, people with hemophilia can receive treatment to lessen frequent bleeding and bruising.

Treatments of hemophilia is tailored to the severity of the condition. Someone with mild hemophilia may only need treatments after an injury or before surgery. Those with moderate to severe hemophilia may require regular treatments to prevent bleeding and to protect joints from damage and deformity.

According to the NHS, hemophilia treatments can be delivered using the following approaches:

1. Preventive treatment (prophylaxis)

For preventive treatments, they may involve injections that contain concentrated clotting-factor products or engineered factor replacements. These are given to substitute the missing clotting factors. Such treatments may begin in childhood so patients can manage self-care by adulthood.

In addition to severity, treatments also depend on the types of hemophilia. People with hemophilia A are given octocog alfa, while those with hemophilia B receive nonacog alfa. The doses and schedules of these factor products are adjusted to the patient’s health status.

Some possible side effects after treatments include skin rash and itching, redness and soreness at the injection site, headache, nausea, and changes in taste sensation.

2. Immediate (on-demand) treatments

On-demand treatments are used for mild and moderate hemophilia. Medications are given when an injury occurs to help a wound to stop bleeding as quickly as possible. Common medication options include desmopressin or antifibrinolytics. Possible side effects may include headache, stomach pain, and nausea.

Although current treatments do not completely cure hemophilia, they aim to reduce frequent bleeding and bruising in patients. Alongside treatments, people with hemophilia are encouraged to prevent bleeding and protect their joints by exercising regularly and avoiding blood-thinning medications.

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