Bruising and Bleeding
The most obvious signs and symptoms of hemophilia are easy bruising and prolonged bleeding, which may be internal or external. The symptoms you or your child may experience depend on the type of hemophilia (A or B) and the severity of your or your child’s condition (mild, moderate, or severe).
People with mild hemophilia (6-49% factor level) may have increased bleeding after dental procedures, accidents, or surgery, but they don’t typically have spontaneous bleeds (occurring without cause) like someone with severe hemophilia. In some cases, mild hemophilia causes so few symptoms that it is not diagnosed until adolescence or adulthood. Moderate and severe hemophilia are typically causes for more frequent and more severe bleeding compared to mild hemophilia.
People with hemophilia may experience a variety of bleeding symptoms. In many cases when there is no family history of hemophilia, the first sign of the condition is prolonged bleeding after circumcision. Other common symptoms of hemophilia that you—or your child—might experience include:
- Joint bleeding
- Soft tissue bleeding
- Bleeding in areas such as the brain and stomach
- Bleeding after minor trauma
- Easy or excessive bruising
- Prolonged bleeding in the mouth from a cut or bite
- Excessive bleeding associated with surgery or other invasive procedures