Hemophilia
Overview
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process. People with this condition experience prolonged bleeding following an injury, surgery, or having a tooth pulled. In severe cases, heavy bleeding occurs after minor trauma or in the absence of injury. Serious complications can result from bleeding into the joints, muscles, brain, or other internal organs. The major types of this condition are hemophilia A and hemophilia B. Although the two types have very similar signs and symptoms, they are caused by mutations in different genes. People with an unusual form of hemophilia B, known as hemophilia B Leyden, experience episodes of excessive bleeding in childhood, but have few bleeding problems after puberty. Another form of the disorder, acquired hemophilia, is not caused by inherited gene mutations.[1]
References
- Hemophilia. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=hemophilia. Accessed March 11, 2013.
Your Questions Answered
by the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information CenterPlease contact us with your questions about Hemophilia. We will answer your question and update these pages with new resources and information.
On this page
General Information
- The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy provides information on the treatment of hemophilia.
- You can obtain comprehensive information on this topic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. Click on the link to read information on this condition.
- Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Hemophilia. Click on the link to go to GHR and review the information.
- MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
- Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition. Click on the link to view the information.
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides leadership for a national program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. Since October 1997, the NHLBI has also had administrative responsibility for the NIH Woman's Health Initiative. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- The National Human Genome Research Institute's (NHGRI) mission encompasses a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease. Click on the link to view the information page on this topic.
- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge. Click on the link to read information on this topic.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hemophilia. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
- The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Hemophilia. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.
