Question 1

what is hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Clotting problem: Hemophilia is a hereditary blood disorder in which the person is deficient in one of the body's clotting factors (factor viii for hemophilia a and factor ix for hemophilia b).  Therefore the blood does not clot correctly after an injury.  Depending on severity, patients with hemophilia bleed and bruise easily and for a longer time. Some may even bleed into their joints, muscles, or brain.

Question 2

is hemophilia lifelong?

Accepted Answer

Yes: About 17, 000 people in the United States have hemophilia. The blood of a person who has hemophilia, a rare, inherited bleeding disease, lacks a protein important to proper clotting. Because it is inherteted at birth it is lifelong.

Question 3

what causes  hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Genetic defect: Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder due to abnormal gene for clotting factor viii (hemophilia a) or ix (hemophilia b) that is on the x-chromosome and men inherit the defect from their mothers.  Women are carriers and are rarely affected.

Question 4

how is hemophilia treated?

Accepted Answer

IV Factor 8 infusion: Factor viii is given IV if and when bleeding occurs, also before and after any contemplated surgery.

Question 5

what exactly is hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Gene for bleeding: The two common hemophilias are lack of factor viii (hemophilia a) and factor ix (hemophilia b) respectively. Of variable severity, these people are prone to bleed too easily especially from blunt trauma. Treatment consists of replacement of the missing factor and is a complicated business with specialists that are well-equipped to do this. Cure by gene therapy may soon be here for ix.  Good luck.

Question 6

how is hemophilia inherited?

Accepted Answer

Hemo."A" is X-linked: Hemophilia "a" is a hereditary bleeding disorder where there is a deficiency in clotting factor viii (factor viii is needed for blood clotting). It is inherited on the x-chromosome (sex-linked). Men only have 1 "x", so if their "x" is mutated, they will have the disease. Women have 2 "x's", so they can have 1 mutated "x" and 1 normal "x", and be a carrier of the disease, with mild or no symptoms.

Question 7

what are the signs of hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Tends to run in fami: Easy bruising and lot of black and blues
bleeds for a longer than normal time when cut.

Question 8

what are the effects of hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Bleeding: Hemophiliacs bleed excessively and bleed into their tissues with minor trauma. Hemophilia a patients tend to bleed into their joints.

Question 9

is there a cure for hemophilia ?

Accepted Answer

Control is achieved: Not a cure, but control of bleeding episodes is achieved by periodic infusion of purified, genetically engineered, human factor viii, defects of which  cause the most common form of hemophilia.

Question 10

what type of mutation causes hemophilia?

Accepted Answer

Hemophilia: A mutation on the x chromosome that affects the blood clotting factors viii or ix.

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