Hemophilia is a disorder that occurs in the blood clotting process due to a lack of protein in the blood as a blood clotting factor. Hemophilia is a type of genetic disease that is passed from mother to son. Usually girls are carriers of the hemophilia gene which can be passed on to boys.
Hemophilia symptoms
The main symptom of hemophilia is the difficulty of blood clotting, so that if there is a wound that bleeds, it will be difficult for the blood to stop. Not only these symptoms, hemophilia sufferers can experience other symptoms, such as:
- Easy bruising
- Frequent bleeding of the gums and mouth
- There is bleeding in the urine and stool
- Easy tingling
- If there is a wound or nosebleed, the blood that flows is difficult to stop
- Experiencing bleeding in the joint is characterized by pain and swelling in the elbow or knee.
Hemophilia sufferers need to be careful when experiencing an incident that causes a head collision, because this can cause intracranial bleeding or bleeding inside the skull.
How to treat bleeding in hemophiliacs
If light bleeding occurs in hemophiliacs, here are some first aids that can be done:
- Rest the body part that is bleeding, try not to move too much
- Compress the bleeding part using bandaged ice. This aims to slow the course of bleeding
- Wrap the bleeding area using an elastic bandage and apply a little pressure to slow the bleeding
- Position the part of the body that is bleeding higher than the heart.
Attempts to prevent bleeding in hemophiliac patients
Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that is passed from mother to child, so hemophilia cannot be prevented. However, through genetic examination in pregnant women it is possible to detect early on the risk of the mother reducing hemophilia in the fetus. Although there is no way to avoid hemophilia, bleeding in hemophilia patients can be avoided by avoiding factors that trigger bleeding, such as:
- Avoid dangerous activities that have a risk of causing injury
- Use body protection such as helmets, elbow protectors, and others when carrying out dangerous activities
- Consume healthy and nutritious food
- Choose light sports such as swimming, yoga, walking, and others
- Carry out regular health checks to the doctor
- Avoid taking drugs that have side effects on blood clots
- Maintain healthy teeth and mouth
That's a brief explanation of hemophilia. Although until now the genetic disorder of hemophilia cannot be cured, its symptoms can be detected early through routine checks. If you experience symptoms as described, immediately check and consult yourself to the doctor to get the right treatment. Article written by dr. Ryan Ardian Saputra, Sp.PD (Internal Medicine Specialist at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital).