Avoid Joint Damage with Necessary Treatment
Joint bleeds can be spontaneous or may result from injury or trauma. Joint bleeds are the main cause of chronic pain and disability in people with severe hemophilia.
Repeated bleeding into a joint breaks down the joint lining and causes joint damage; this eventually results in a painful arthritic condition known as hemophilic arthropathy. For this reason, you or your child should always seek prompt treatment for every joint bleed. Joint bleeds usually occur in the knees, elbows, ankles, or hips, but they may occur in any joint.
While joint bleeds can occur in people with all severities of hemophilia, spontaneous joint bleeds tend to be most common in people with severe hemophilia. If you or your child has moderate or mild hemophilia, joint bleeding usually only occurs after trauma or injury.
Symptoms of joint bleeds are not always apparent right away, especially if you or your child has moderate or mild hemophilia. The first symptom is often a tingling or tightness in the joint with no real pain or visible sign of bleeding.
As the bleeding continues, the joint swells and becomes warm to touch and painful to move. Swelling continues to increase as bleeding continues and movement of the joint can be temporarily lost. This pain can be severe.
Joint bleeds must be treated quickly and aggressively to prevent long-term joint damage. Untreated joint bleeds may result in chronic pain and may be debilitating; leading to permanent joint damage and a decreased quality of life.