Hemophilia: What Happens

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What Happens

In hemophilia, blood does not clot properly. After bleeding starts, it takes longer for bleeding to stop than in a person who has blood that clots normally. A bleeding episode often begins with an injury. Minor injuries may not always cause excessive bleeding. More severe injuries, or injuries in the mouth, more often cause excessive bleeding and frequently require emergency care.

Bleeding into a joint (hemarthrosis), often without an injury, is the most common bleeding problem in people who have severe hemophilia. Bleeding usually occurs in one joint at a time. Bleeding may develop in any joint, but knees, elbows, and ankles are most commonly affected. Sometimes one particular joint, called a target joint, will tend to bleed most often.

Another common symptom of hemophilia is bleeding into a muscle (hematoma), which can be mild or severe. Serious bleeding deep in the muscle can cause significant pain and scarring.

Bleeding in the brain can cause serious brain damage and possibly death. For these reasons, a person with hemophilia who has an injury to the head usually needs urgent treatment with clotting factors.

Even with treatment, bleeding is sometimes difficult to control. Frequent bleeding episodes or a serious injury can lead to complications and excessive blood loss.

With the use of new clotting factor concentrates to treat hemophilia, people who have hemophilia now often have a normal life expectancy.²

Last updated:	August 20, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC