Hemophilia is a genetically inherited disorder that impairs the ability of blood to form clots, a process needed to stop excessive bleeding. Hemophilia results in bleeding too much after an injury, easily bruising, and increased risk of internal bleeding within joints or the brain. Individuals with mild hemophilia may only show symptoms after an accident or during surgery. Joint bleeding may cause permanent damage, while bleeding in the brain may result in long term problems such as headaches, decreased level of consciousness, and extreme fatigue.

Hemophilia exists in two forms. Hemophilia A, which occurs as a result of insufficient clotting factor VIII. Hemophilia B which occurs in the presence of low level of clotting factor IX. The syndrome is genetically inherited from one’s parents through an X chromosome with a non-functional gene. People born with hemophilia experience spontaneous bleeding, as they fail to have sufficient or any clotting. For an area to form a clot, the blood requires small blood cell proteins to work with platelets. Depending on the amount of anti-clotting factors in your blood, hemophilia can occur as a mild, moderate, or severe condition. In about 70 percent of hemophilia type A patients usually experience a severe form of the disease. Hemophilia occurs more often in men and according to a report from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, more than 1500 men are born with hemophilia annually in America.

1. Early warning signs of hemophilia

The typical sign of hemophilia is easy bruising and excessive bleeding. The extent of bleeding depends on the severity of the disease. Often, children with mild hemophilia rarely show symptoms unless they experience an accident, dental procedure, or surgery. Other signs that are common to external hemophilia can include:

• Bleeding in the mouth from a bite, cut or losing a tooth

• Frequent nosebleeds for no apparent reasons

• Substantial blood loss from a simple cut

• Bleeding from a wound that heals for a while and resumes again

2. Signs of internal hemophilia include:

• Blood in the urine as a result of bleeding kidneys or bladder

• Large bruises as a result of bleeding from the large muscles of the body

• Joint bleeding. First, they might make joints to appear tighter with less or no pain and without any visible sign of bleeding. When the condition is severe, joints will appear swollen, hot, and feel pain while bending. A person with joint bleeding can temporarily lose movement and experience severe pain within the joints.

• Blood in the stool caused by bleeding in the intestines or stomach

• Bleeding in the brain. The condition can cause long term headaches, frequent vomiting, fatigue, sleepiness, clumsiness in the legs or arms, mood swings, problems walking, and convulsions.

4. Diagnosis

This condition should be diagnosed before, during, and after birth if there is a prevalent indication of the disease in the family. If there is no family history of hemophilia, the child is usually diagnosed after they start walking or clawing. Mild hemophilia may be discovered later, usually after an accident, surgical or dental procedure.

5. When to seek medical intervention

With hemophilia, there is a slight chance for internal bleeding within the skull; a condition referred to as intracranial hemorrhage. It is estimated that about 3 percent of parents with hemophilia are likely to experience intracranial hemorrhage, as well. If you experience symptoms, which relates to the above discussed, you should visit your doctor for further consultation.