Understanding Hemophilia: Causes, risk and treatment

Imagine you have a minor cut and the bleeding does not stop. This can happen to those people with Hemophilia. It is an inherited bleeding disorder where the body lacks the ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding.

- Dr. Stallin Ramprakash

This can lead to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery. Small cuts usually aren’t much of a problem. In severe conditions, bleeding that happens inside the body especially knees, ankles, elbows and brain can damage your organs and tissues and can be life-threatening.

There are several different types of hemophilia. Hemophilia A (Classic Hemophilia) caused by a lack or decrease of clotting factor VIII and Hemophilia B (Christmas Disease) caused by a lack or decrease of clotting factor IX are the two most common types. Hemophilia A is the most common X-linked genetic disease with a worldwide incidence of approximately 1 case per 5000 males, with approximately one-third of affected individuals not having a family history of the disorder. Hemophilia B occurs in approximately 1 in 25,000 male births. It is less prevalent than hemophilia A.