Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by a lack of sufficient blood clotting proteins. It is a rare, genetic disorder. When people with hemophilia get an injury or even a small cut, they will bleed more than the average person, because their blood doesn't clot properly. Hemophiliacs, the term used to describe those afflicted, also go through periods of internal bleeding, and that is where the real danger lies. Episodes of internal bleeding over a long period of time, can cause long term damage to joints and organs, even the brain. In rare instances, one single episode of deep bleeding inside the body can have the same effect. The disorder can also be life-threatening in certain situations.
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1. Joint pain
Joint pain is very common for sufferers of hemophilia, and the resulting joint disease is the most common complication. Bleeding occurs in the joint space, not only after injury, but sometimes for no obvious reason. The flow of blood into the cavity causes pressure and severe pain, that leads to arthritis and deformity in some cases. The main joints normally affected are the ankles, knees, and elbows. Damage can occur after many instances of bleeding into the same joint, or just one. The probability of joint bleeding increases after just one episode. The damage that accumulates in a joint over a long period of time, or after a single major incident, occurs in the cartilage around the bones and the connective tissue.Next