About Bleeding Disorders
There are different types of bleeding disorders which are a result of a genetic mutation that prevents blood from clotting properly. This occurs when there is a deficiency in one or more proteins known as clotting factors. Without these clotting factors, a person may have spontaneous and uncontrolled internal bleeds which could be located in joints and muscles. If left untreated, these bleeds can result in painful episodes and may lead to permanent damage.
The most well-known of the bleeding disorders is Hemophilia, but there are also other disorders such as von Willebrand disease and other rare factor deficiencies.
Bleeding disorders affect both men and women, and include all ethnic and racial groups.
Hemophilia
There are two main forms of hemophilia - hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency) and hemophilia
B (factor IX deficiency, also known as Christmas Disease). According to the CDC there are an estimated 400,000 people worldwide with hemophilia. In the U.S. there are approximately 20,000 people living with it. Statistically, hemophilia will occur in every 1 in 5,000 live male births, with the majority (80%) having hemophilia A.
Hemophilia is a genetic disorder and is most commonly inherited however roughly 30% of those diagnosed with it have no family history of the disease. It's simply a spontaneous genetic mutation that can range from mild to severe cases. Although found mostly in men, women can also have hemophilia.
Even rarer is what's known as acquired hemophilia.
This is not a condition present at birth, but develops suddenly at some point in a person's life but often in older patients and is brought on by an abnormality in the immune system such as someone having rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Inhibitors
On rare occasions, a person with hemophilia A or B may develop an inhibitor to the medicine they use to treat their condition. The body's immune response sees the introduced factor medication as foreign and then produces antibodies that attack it before it has a chance to help form a clot. This is rare but can be a very costly to treat.
VonWillebrand Disease
Von Willebrand disease or VWD is another type of genetic bleeding disorder that prevents the blood from clotting normally and is caused by a deficient or defective blood protein known as von Willebrand factor. This condition affects both men and women and is estimated to impact 1% of the U.S. population or roughly 3.2 million people.
The majority of the people diagnosed with VWD have a mild form of the disease however it also ranges from mild to severe. As with hemophilia, a person can acquire VWD later in life through an autoimmune disease, heart disease, some forms of cancer or even after taking certain medications.