Physics Wallah

Hemophilia: Introduction, Causes, Signs, Treatment

Hemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally. This can lead to excessive bleeding from even minor injuries, as well as spontaneous bleeding episodes that can be life-threatening.
authorImageJasdeep Bhatia27 Jun, 2024
Share

Share

Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a genetic illness primarily inherited and affects the body's capacity to produce blood clots to halt bleeding.  As a result, people bruise easily, bleed more readily after an injury, and are more likely to experience bleeding within joints or the head.  People with mild illnesses may experience side effects following an accident, even during surgery.  While bleeding into a bone might cause irreparable harm, bleeding into the nervous system can cause constant headaches, seizures, or consciousness loss.

The two primary kinds of haemophilia are A and B, caused by low levels of clotting factors VIII and IX, respectively. Generally, they are transmitted from the parent through an X chromosome that contains a gene that is not functioning. This article aims to provide a basic understanding of genetic disorders, particularly haemophilia, its transmission and symptoms and treatment and precautions.

Heart Attack

Genetic Disorders

Genetic illnesses can develop when your genes are affected by a mutation, an adverse alteration to a gene, a pathogenic variant or when you have the incorrect quantity of genetic material. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which comprises genes, contains instructions for how cells should function and the traits that distinguish each individual. Each of your biological parents contributes half of your DNA to you, and you could inherit a gene mutation from one or both of them. Genes can occasionally alter due to problems with the DNA (mutations). Your chance of getting a genetic condition may increase as a result. While some start exhibiting symptoms at birth, others do so gradually. Gene-related diseases include:
  • Chromosomal: This type affects the cellular components known as chromosomes that house your genes and DNA. These disorders affect people who either have an excess of or a deficiency of chromosomal material.
  • Complex (multifactorial): These diseases are caused by a variety of gene mutations as well as other factors. The use of cigarettes or alcohol, nutrition, chemical exposure, and some medicines are among them.
  • Single-gene (monogenic) diseases in this category are caused by mutations or DNA sequence changes in a single gene.
Let us now discuss Haemophilia, a genetic disorder, in detail.

Health And Its Failure

Haemophilia

Haemophilia, a bleeding condition where the blood does not clot correctly, is typically hereditary. In addition to bleeding after injury or surgery, this can cause bleeding on its own.
  • Many proteins found in blood, called clotting factors, may help prevent blood loss. Low levels of either factor VIII or factor IX are found in those with haemophilia.
  • A person's level of a factor in the blood determines how severe their haemophilia is. Therefore, the lesser the quantity of the component, the more bleeding is likely to happen and can cause significant health issues.
  • Haemophilia can, in extremely rare circumstances, manifest later in life.
  • In most cases, middle-aged or elderly persons and young women who have recently given birth or are in the latter stages of pregnancy are involved. With the proper care, this medical condition usually gets better.

Gram Positive Bacteria

Causes of Haemophilia

A mutation or alteration in one of the genes, which codes for the proteins that make the clotting factor necessary for a blood clot, results in haemophilia. The clotting protein may no longer exist or function improperly due to this alteration or mutation. The X chromosome contains these genes. The XY chromosome is found in men, while the XX chromosome is found in females. The X and Y chromosomes are passed down to males from their mothers and fathers, respectively. Each parent contributes one X chromosome to females. Several genes on the X chromosome are absent from the Y chromosome. Because of this, males only have one copy of the majority of the X-chromosome genes, while females have two copies. So, if a man gets an X chromosome with a mutation in either the factor VIII or factor IX gene, they might develop a disorder like haemophilia. Women are not immune to haemophilia. However, this is considerably less common. In these situations, either the X chromosomes are afflicted, or one is affected while the other is absent or inactive. These women may experience bleeding symptoms comparable to haemophiliac men. A "carrier" of haemophilia is a female who carries one abnormal X chromosome. Occasionally, haemophilia symptoms might appear in female carriers. She can also transmit the mutated clotting factor gene-afflicted X chromosome to her offspring. Even though haemophilia runs in families, some families have no known history of haemophilia in their immediate family. By accident, a family may occasionally include carrier females but no afflicted men. But roughly one-third of the time, a mutation in the clotting factor gene affects just the infant with haemophilia, making him or her the first person in the family to be affected.

Glyolysis and Glycolytic Pathway

Signs and Symptoms

Having haemophilia can lead to the following:
  • Discomfort-causing joint haemorrhage and chronic joint disease
  • Head and occasionally brain bleeding that might result in long-term issues, including seizures and paralysis
  • Death may result If the bleeding cannot be controlled or if it affects a crucial organ, such as the brain.
Typical haemophilia symptoms include
  • Bleeding joints. This frequently affects the knees, elbows, and ankles and can result in swelling, soreness, or tightness in the joints.
  • Bleeding into muscle and soft tissue can result in a hematoma, a blood collection in the region. Bleeding into the skin can cause bruising.
  • Bleeding from the gums and mouth and bleeding following tooth loss is difficult to stop.
  • Bleeding following circumcision is a surgical procedure used on male infants to remove the foreskin or hood of skin covering the penis.
  • Bleeding from vaccines or other injections.
  • Baby with skull bleeding following a difficult birth.
  • Blood in the faeces or pee.
  • Nosebleeds that happen often and are hard to stop.

Gonads

Prevalence

  • One out of every 5,000 male babies born has haemophilia. According to a recent study that analysed data on patients seeking care at federally sponsored haemophilia treatment centres between 2012 and 2018, as many as 33,000 men in the United States are thought to have the illness.
  • Nearly half of people with haemophilia A have the severe type, nearly four times more prevalent than haemophilia B. People with haemophilia might be of any race or ethnicity.
  • Over 1,36,000 persons have received diagnoses in the Indian subcontinent (based on prevalence). One male birth out of every ten thousand is diagnosed with the condition.
  • Out of the total registered patients, there are 19,690 patients with haemophilia A. Making people aware of this issue is crucial when only 13% of people with haemophilia have been diagnosed.
  • This is why April 17 is annually recognised as World Haemophilia Day.

Genetically Modified Organisms Ethical Issues

Diagnosis

Haemophilia is often detected in severe instances within the first year of life. Mild forms might not become evident till maturity. Some patients find out they have haemophilia after bleeding significantly after medical treatment. Clotting-factor testing can show a clotting-factor shortage and assess the severity of the haemophilia. Genetic testing may detect carriers in persons with a family history of haemophilia so they may make educated choices about becoming pregnant. It's also possible to find out if the foetus has haemophilia when the mother is pregnant. The foetus, however, faces some hazards due to the tests. Speak about the advantages and disadvantages of testing with your doctor.

Gastric Symptoms

Types of Haemophilia

Haemophilia types A, B, and C are the three different types of haemophilia.

Haemophilia A.

Haemophilia type A is by far the most prevalent kind. This kind of haemophilia, commonly called "classic haemophilia," is caused by a factor VIII deficiency.

Haemophilia B.

Because of the absence or severe deficiency of clotting factor IX, this kind of haemophilia, also known as Christmas disease, develops.

Haemophilia C.

An uncommon variant of haemophilia C, often called "factor XI deficiency," was initially identified in 1953 in people. It is genetically predisposed to have haemophilia.

Inborn Haemophilia

Congenital haemophilia accounts for the majority of cases. Congenital refers to a characteristic you inherit from one or both of your parents at birth. A family history of haemophilia accounts for around two-thirds of all type A and type B disease occurrences.

Acquired Haemophilia

Contrary to congenital haemophilia, acquired haemophilia can occur in people without a personal or family history. Acquired haemophilia is an uncommon autoimmune condition. You might develop an autoimmune illness or disease when your immune system destroys healthy cells. The immune system produces antibodies that target the clotting factors in acquired haemophilia, most often factor VIII (acquired haemophilia A).

Heart Health

Treatment

The best method for treating haemophilia, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to replace the blood clotting factor. Therapy materials called clotting factor concentrates can be given intravenously. Therapeutic products are regularly suggested by clinicians for episodic or preventative treatment. According to the CDC, preventive treatment is used to halt patients' bleeding episodes, whereas episodic care is used to stop patients' bleeding episodes that have already started. It should be emphasised that there are hazards and difficulties associated with the treatment. People with haemophilia (PwH) have long been contacted by Haemophilia Federation India (HFI), which offers high-quality care, education, and cheap illness treatment. Replacing lost blood clotting factors to enable adequate blood clotting is the best technique to treat haemophilia. To do this, commercially produced factor concentrations are infused (administered through a vein). Haemophiliacs can learn how to administer these infusions independently, allowing them to end bleeding episodes. By administering infusions routinely (known as prophylaxis), they will likely prevent most bleeding episodes. Providing high-quality medical care by medical professionals with extensive knowledge of the condition can assist in avoiding some very significant issues. A thorough Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) is frequently the best option for care. HTC offers treatment for the disorder's symptoms and health advice to assist haemophiliacs in maintaining their well-being.

Management

Clotting Factors

  • In moderate haemophilia, beta cells are typically unnecessary. Clotting agents are typically only required in severe haemophilia C whenever blood develops or in particular situations to avoid haemorrhage. In cases of severe haemophilia, preventive use is frequently advised twice or thrice weekly and may last a lifetime. Plasma loss is reduced when blood events are treated quickly.
  • Factor VIII and factor IX are employed during haemophilia A and B, respectively. Recombinant, human blood serum-isolated, or a mixture of the two are all acceptable sources of material replenishment.
  • Because some recipients of replacement factors acquire antibodies (inhibitors) against them, the dosage of the factor must be raised, or non-human substitution goods, including such pig factor VIII, must be administered.
  • The US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) authorised an anti-hemophilic medication devoid of proteins at the beginning of 2008, making this the first anti-hemophilic medication in the country to use a wholly manufactured purification procedure. Genetic factor technologies have been introduced and frequently used in wealthy developed nations since 1993.
  • These products are typically generated utilising Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from tissue culture and include little, if there were any, human plasma proteins. Recombinant vitamin K products are more pure and safe; however, they are also more expensive than concentrate and typically not obtainable in developing countries. Factor items are frequently challenging to come across in poor nations.

Contraindications

Anticoagulants like heparin & warfarin are not advised for those with haemophilia because they might worsen clotting issues. The use of medications with "blood thinning" adverse effects is also prohibited. For instance, paracetamol, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium medications shouldn't be administered because they have been known to induce prolonged bleeding as both side effects. Activities with a high chance of causing trauma, including skateboarding and biking, are also prohibited. People with haemophilia should avoid popular sports like American football, hockey, boxing, wrestling, & rugby that have high rates of physical contact and injury.  Although there is often less contact in other energetic sports like basketball, baseball, & soccer, they nevertheless have a high injury rate and shouldn't be played with caution.

Prognosis

  • The average life span varies with disorder severity and access to effective treatment, like many of the elements of the disorder. Individuals with severe haemophilia who don't get enough current treatment live much shorter lives and frequently never reach adulthood.
  • The typical average life span was only 11 years before the 1960s when effective treatments became accessible. The normal haemophiliac with appropriate care had a 50–60 month life expectancy by the 1980s. With the proper care today, boys with haemophilia often have a satisfactory quality of life and a lifetime of roughly ten years less than a male without the condition.

1. Which are the top five signs of haemophilia?

Symptoms Profuse and unexplained bleeding from wounds or cuts, especially following surgery or dental procedures. Several severe or profound bruises. Unusual bleeding following immunisations. Joint discomfort, oedema, or tightness. The faeces or pee contains blood. Without a recognised cause, nosebleeds. Unknown irritation in babies.

2. What types of haemophilia exist?

Haemophilia A, caused by a deficiency in clotting factor VIII, and haemophilia B, caused by a deficiency in clotting factor IX, are the two most prevalent kinds of haemophilia. Either kind can result in persistent bleeding after wounds or surgery and spontaneous bleeding into muscles, organs, and joints.

3. Is haemophilia treatable?

The ideal method for treating haemophilia is to replace the missing blood clotting factor so the blood will clot properly. Patients frequently receive therapeutic injections of clotting factor concentrates into a vein.

4. What causes haemophilia primarily?

Haemophilia A is brought on by a mutation in the F8 gene, which produces the blood-clotting factor VIII (8). Haemophilia B is brought on by a mutation in the F9 gene, which produces the blood clotting factor IX (9). One of the two sex chromosomes (X and Y), the X chromosome, contains these genes.
Join 15 Million students on the app today!
Point IconLive & recorded classes available at ease
Point IconDashboard for progress tracking
Point IconMillions of practice questions at your fingertips
Download ButtonDownload Button
Banner Image
Banner Image
Free Learning Resources
Know about Physics Wallah
Physics Wallah is an Indian edtech platform that provides accessible & comprehensive learning experiences to students from Class 6th to postgraduate level. We also provide extensive NCERT solutions, sample paper, NEET, JEE Mains, BITSAT previous year papers & more such resources to students. Physics Wallah also caters to over 3.5 million registered students and over 78 lakh+ Youtube subscribers with 4.8 rating on its app.
We Stand Out because
We provide students with intensive courses with India’s qualified & experienced faculties & mentors. PW strives to make the learning experience comprehensive and accessible for students of all sections of society. We believe in empowering every single student who couldn't dream of a good career in engineering and medical field earlier.
Our Key Focus Areas
Physics Wallah's main focus is to make the learning experience as economical as possible for all students. With our affordable courses like Lakshya, Udaan and Arjuna and many others, we have been able to provide a platform for lakhs of aspirants. From providing Chemistry, Maths, Physics formula to giving e-books of eminent authors like RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal and Lakhmir Singh, PW focuses on every single student's need for preparation.
What Makes Us Different
Physics Wallah strives to develop a comprehensive pedagogical structure for students, where they get a state-of-the-art learning experience with study material and resources. Apart from catering students preparing for JEE Mains and NEET, PW also provides study material for each state board like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others

Copyright © 2025 Physicswallah Limited All rights reserved.