Hemophilia - A High Level Understanding to the Incurable Bleeding Affliction

Sep 27
08:53

2008

Trevor Price

Trevor Price

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Hemophilia disease is actually a group of diseases that are all genetic disorders adversely affecting the body's ability to control blood clotting.

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Hemophilia disease refers to a group of diseases. Each of these diseases affects the body's ability to clot or coagulate blood. Basically,Hemophilia - A High Level Understanding to the Incurable Bleeding Affliction Articles if a hemophiliac is cut or suffers from internal bleeding, the body is unable to clot and stop the bleeding. 

If you're curious about hemophilia and want to learn more about it, please read on.

Root Causes of Hemophilia

Hemophilia is genetic, meaning it is passed down by your parents. There are three types of hemophilia, each designated by the type of clotting factor that is missing from the blood of the person living with the disease. Simply put, the gene responsible for creating and managing that clotting factor is damaged.

Hemophilia impacts males, though females can be carriers. While a male carrier will always pass the disease down to his daughter, he will never pass it on to his son. However, a female carrier only has a 50 percent chance of passing it onto her daughter or son. The disease is very rare and affects approximately 1 in every 5000 births.

How Hemophilia is Treated

Hemophilia does not have a cure. That said, the disease is typically controlled by adding the missing clotting factors to the patient's blood. This is called prophylactic treatment because it's designed to prevent bleeding incidents. Some hemophiliacs may begin to resist the antibodies of these clotting factors, so animal derivatives must then be used.

In other treatment news, there is new a drug that was recently approved which has been dubbed an anti-hemophiliac option. It's genetically engineered from Chinese hamsters and believed to help the body begin to create the needed factors.

Typically, treatments are administered on an ongoing schedule designed to prevent emergencies while continuing routine treatment that keeps the blood clotting. In contrast, on-demand treatments only administer medication when a bleeding episode occurs and a quick response is needed. On-demand treatment is not only significantly less expensive, but the patient is also less likely to develop antibodies.

In countries where health care is provided by the state, most hemophiliacs have ongoing access to preventive care alongside a team of physiotherapists, nurses, hematologists and more who are available to assist.

Natural or Herbal Treatments for Hemophilia

Some studies suggest that hypnosis and self-hypnosis can effectively control hemophilia and reduce the number of bleeds along with the severity of bleeding. This method of treatment has not been proven clinically.

Some hemophiliacs may also use certain herbs to strengthen blood vessels. Common herbs used include grape seed extract, bilberry, scotch broom, stinging nettle, witch hazel and yarrow. If you suffer from hemophilia disease, please consult your doctor before you start a herbal therapy program.

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