Complications of hemophilia may include:
- Deep internal bleeding
- Damage to joints
- Infection
- Adverse reaction to clotting factor treatment
There are two main types of inherited hemophilia, Type A and Type B, which are similar. Type A is caused by a deficiency of factor VIII, and a deficiency of factor IX causes type B. When all of the elements of the blood work correctly together, the body can quickly provide a clot, which is necessary for healing an open wound or after surgery. When the body cannot form a suitable clot, this can cause multiple challenges and health concerns.
For both men and women, hemophilia can cause a person to bleed longer than usual, both internally and externally. A bleed may occur after a serious injury, trauma, or surgery. For women, they may experience heavy menstrual periods and can hemorrhage after giving birth.
The best way to treat hemophilia is to replace the missing blood clotting factor so that the blood can clot properly. This is accomplished through infusing factor into the bloodstream. Factor is typically plasma-derived but may be synthetically produced. Plasma is collected from many different people and then goes through a separating process to isolate specific factors. The patient then infuses this to replace the deficient factor in their blood so that everything functions normally.
Those with a hemophilia A diagnosis also have access to a drug that is administered into the skin, like a shot. This product does not replace the clotting factor but acts like a passageway for factor IXa and factor X to meet and work together. Once factor IXa and X get together, a clot is formed. People with Hemophilia B cannot use this drug.
Drugs used to treat hemophilia are provided by a specialty pharmacy, such as Paragon. We teach our patients the building blocks of managing their bleeding disorder, learning how to administer their medication in the home setting, and finding creative ways to overcome the challenges they may face. We make the transition from a patient's current provider to our service as smooth as possible. We focus on building relationships with each patient so that we can best understand and meet their needs.
Wherever you are on your journey, we're here to support you. For more information about joining the Paragon family, visit https://paragonhealthcare.com/hemo/.