Hemophilia is a genetic disorder in which the ability of the blood to clot is severely affected, causing excessive blood loss during minor injuries, surgeries, etc. If internal bleeding occurs, the situation could become critical really quickly, since it becomes harder to detect and staunch the blood flow. Symptoms of hemophilia such as dark bruises and swollen joints must be checked immediately so that in case the disorder is diagnosed, a proper treatment plan can be charted out.

Diagnosis

• If a family has a history of hemophilia, it’s possible to get the fetus checked before birth. Check with your doctor and choose the best and safest option for testing for you and your baby, so there are no adverse effects.
• In adults and children, a blood test can help determine if they are affected by hemophilia. Depending on the severity of the disorder, it’s symptoms may occur at different stages.
• Severe forms of the disorder are generally diagnosed very early in life as it mostly shows up within one year of birth. Milder cases may only make an appearance later on in life. Mild hemophilia is only generally determined when a surgical procedure involves excessive bleeding.

Treatment

Treatment for the symptoms of hemophilia depends on a lot of things like your age, the severity of the condition, and personal needs.

• The main type of treatment is replacement therapy, in which the specific clotting factor you require is replaced by passing it through a tube inserted in your vein. This doesn’t cure your hemophilia but it helps to control and prevent it. In most cases, clotting factors VIII or IX are missing from the blood. The regular infusions of clotting factors can prevent bleeds and is known as prophylaxis.
• Mild and moderate hemophilia may be treated using DDAVP, which raises the factor VIII levels in your blood. You can take it through an IV or through a nasal spray. Medications like antifibrinolytics can also be of great use in cases of mild and moderate hemophilia. These are administered orally and reduce the speed of the breakdown of clotting factors in your blood.
• Another method of treatment is on-demand therapy, which helps to treat an ongoing bleeding situation. This is called “on-demand” therapy. It is given in cases wherein there is a sudden episode of hemophilia and the bleeding needs to be staunched immediately.
• Be careful and let a doctor guide you if you have hemophilia and are preparing for surgery, pregnancy or any other procedure that involves blood loss, cuts, and wounds.

To handle your hemophilia on a daily basis, make sure you handle your injuries correctly, inform all your healthcare specialists about your condition, stay active, and take part in support groups if needed. Use safety measures whenever required and be more cautious about getting hurt. Any new symptoms must be reported to your doctor immediately. Although it cannot be completely cured, hemophilia can be controlled and prevented if you plan well and take care of yourself.