Hemophilia Diagnosis and Treatment in Dubai
Find out How to Treat Hemophilia in Dubai

Hemophilia is an inherited blood disorder in which blood does not clot as it should. The condition is characterized by a lack or low levels of certain proteins known as “clotting factors”. There is a variety of hemophilia, and they all have low levels of either clotting factor VIII or factor IX. Medical professionals base the overall severity of the condition on how much factor is present in the blood.

Types of Hemophilia

There are three forms of hemophilia A, B, and C

• Hemophilia A: This is the most common type of hemophilia. It is often caused by a deficiency in factor VIII, also known as “classic hemophilia.”
• Hemophilia B: Also known as Christmas disease. It occurs because clotting factor IX is missing or rather severely deficient.
• Hemophilia C: Also known as “factor XI deficiency,” it is a rare form of hemophilia. It is more prevalent in people with severe bleeding after dental extraction.

Symptoms of Hemophilia

• Bruising, bleeding into the skin
• Blood in stool or urine
• Frequent, difficult-to-stop nosebleeds
• Bleeding in gums or mouth
• Bleeding into the muscle and soft tissue
• Bleeding into the joints

Causes of Hemophilia

The main cause of all types of hemophilia is a mutation in the genes that usually control and regulate the development of clotting factors which help the blood form clots that seal up wounds.

For Hemophilia A and B, approximately two-thirds of the mutations come from a parent. The remaining can develop as a spontaneous mutation even in individuals without a family history of the condition.

Diagnosis of Hemophilia

In most cases, hemophilia is diagnosed through a blood test. The doctor will extract a small sample of blood from your vein and check the amount of clotting factor present.

He/she will then grade the sample to determine the severity of the factor and deficiency and the severity of the condition.

Severity levels of hemophilia A include:

• Mild: Happens when factor levels are between 6 and 30 percent
• Moderate: occurs when factor levels are between 1 and 5 percent
• Severe: This normally happens when factor levels are lea than 1 percent

Severity levels of hemophilia B include:

• Mild: Happens when factor levels are between 6 and 49 percent
• Moderate: Factor levels are between 1 and 5 percent
• Severe: Factor levels are less than 1 percent

Treatment of Hemophilia

Treatment for hemophilia is based on the type one has. The primary objective of treatment is to replace the clotting factors so an individual can form clots and prevent bleeding.

Based on the type of hemophilia, the doctor may prescribe the following:

• Pain Management: The doctor may recommend pain medication to help alleviate pain if it is associated with the condition.
• Physical Therapy: Physical rehabilitation therapy is essential for more severe cases especially if the condition has damaged your joints.
• Non-Factor Replacement Therapies: These medications use synthetic proteins to replicate the clotting factor. The medication is often injected into the skin.
• Concentrated FVII or FIX Product: These are infused medications that are used to treat types A and B, respectively. The medication can either be synthetic or made from human plasma. It is often prescribed to patients as part of an ongoing, regular treatment regimen called prophylaxis.