Hemophilia is a genetic condition that can last for years or even be a lifelong condition. Hemophilia is passed on at the time of conception. A person grows up with the disease and is at risk of any or a combination of the following conditions:

• Anemia caused by loss of blood.
• Damage to the joints in knees, elbows, and ankles due to internal bleeding.
• Presence of blood in the urine, and blot clots in the urethra, resulting in severe pain.
• Bleeding in the GI tract can result in bloody or black stools and blood in vomit.
• Internal bleeding in the head (if they have had an injury to the head) is possible, resulting in brain damage and even death.
• Bleeding in the muscles can cause damage to the limb.
• Bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums.
• Heavy menstrual bleeding in women.
• Bleeding during tooth extraction or post-surgery.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis of hemophilia and its severity can be based on a series of tests:

• Complete blood count test, which gives an analysis of red blood cells, clotting factors, platelets, and hemoglobin levels along with other details about blood components.
• Clotting factor tests can check the levels and speed of the clotting factor.
• A DNA test reveals an abnormality in any genes.

If an abnormality is detected, the patient will be referred to a hematologist. The treatment will be based on the person’s age, medical history, and allergies. Since the treatment goes on throughout a person’s life, the patient’s ability to withstand long-term clinical therapies will be evaluated.

Treatment
There is no curative treatment yet. The treatment for hemophilia is intravenous factor replacement of factors VIII, IX, and A and B.

• Isolation of cryoprecipitates from the blood with a high concentrate of Factor VIII is used to treat Hemophilia A.
• Fresh frozen plasma is also used, but a huge amount of plasma has to be used since its concentration of clotting factor is less.
• For people with mild bleeding, desmopressin, a synthetic hormone, is injected so that it stimulates the production of factor VIII.

Type C is rare and is treated o the similar lines as types A and B. If the bleeding is excessive and continues for long, transfusions are done. If there is bleeding in the joints, the joint might be immobilized. Rehabilitation, in the form of mild exercises or physiotherapy, is also recommended for strengthening the muscles around the affected area. Proper management of hemophilia can reduce complications and improve the quality of life and increase the life span of patients. Some things to consider for the management of the condition are as follows:

• Being physically active but avoiding injury-prone activities.
• Having factor infusions before surgeries or procedures that could induce bleeding.
• Immunizations to be given under the skin rather than on muscles.
• Avoiding blood thinners and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

With the unpredictability of bleeding, a cost for admissions, blood replacement products, and transfusions, research is ongoing to look for new treatment and therapies to treat hemophilia.