IHTC NEWS:

Bleeding Disorders

• Types of Bleeding Disorders
• Clinics
• Dental Care
• Camps

Bleeding Disorders

A bleeding disorder is an abnormality in the body’s clotting (or coagulation) system. Coagulation is the process that limits or controls bleeding once an injury has occurred. Blood is normally liquid, but its components may form a clot when needed in order to seal an area of injury. These components of the blood are known as clotting factors. There are approximately 13 clotting factors that help to form a clot. In people with bleeding disorders, one of these clotting factors is abnormal or missing, causing the affected individual to have a bleeding tendency. People with hemophilia tend to experience bleeding into joints, muscles and soft tissues. Bleeding may also occur internally such as in the abdomen, kidneys and intestines. Bleeding episodes may result from an injury or may occur spontaneously, meaning without a known injury.

There are many myths associated with hemophilia. The most common myths are that affected individuals will bleed to death from minor injuries and that their blood flows faster. Superficial cuts are usually not a problem even to those with severe hemophilia. People with hemophilia bleed longer, not faster, compared to those with a normal clotting system.

Hemophilia is the best–known bleeding disorder. Hemophilia A is a deficiency of clotting factor VIII. Hemophilia B, also known as Christmas disease, is a deficiency of factor IX. von Willebrand disease, which may affect as much as 1% o population – nearly 3 million people in the United States alone – is the most common bleeding disorder, and is due to an abnormality in the von Willebrand clotting factor. Many people who have von Willebrand disease are unaware that they have the disorder.