Hemophilia

• Hemophilia Overview
• Hemophilia Causes
• Hemophilia Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Hemophilia Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medications
• Next Steps
• Outlook
• Support Groups and Counseling
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related hemophilia articles:
  Hemophilia - on WebMD

Hemophilia Overview

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. The blood of someone with hemophilia will not clot normally. Bleeding may occur spontaneously or following injury.

Hemophilia occurs in 2 forms, hemophilia A and B. In both forms, a gene is defective. The defective gene interferes with the ability of the body to produce the clotting factors that allow for normal clotting. The result is a tendency for abnormal, excessive bleeding.

• Hemophilia A occurs in 1 in 10,000 people. Hemophilia B occurs in 1 in 40,000.
  
  
• With either disorder, you may show a mild form in which bleeding occurs only under severe stress, such as major injury.
  
  
  • Moderate cases rarely will have spontaneous bleeding but will bleed after surgery or trauma.
    
    
  • Severe cases will exhibit spontaneous bleeding—that is, bleeding without any recognizable trauma. Spontaneous bleeding can occur in any part of your body, but it is usually in the joints of the fingers, wrists, feet, and spine.