Grayce P. Storey
Hemophiliacs do not bleed any faster that any one else, they just bleed longer. The problem lies in the prolonged oozing primarily into muscles and joints.
Approximately one in every 10,000 boys is born with hemophilia. This disease knows no race, creed nor color. Hemophilia is a recessive sex-linked disorder. The female may be a carrier but seldom has bleeding problems herself.
The disorder is caused by the absence of one of the 10 clotting factors, which are proteins necessary for blood clotting.
There are two types of hemophilia, Hemophilia A (classic hemophilia) also known as factor VIII deficiency and Hemophilia B (Christmas disease) also known as factor IX deficiency.
Hemophilia has three levels of severity: mild, moderate, and severe.
Mild hemophiliacs have prolonged bleedings only with surgery, tooth extractions, or major injuries. In case of the moderate hemophilia, bleeding can occur into joints or muscles following a mild trauma such as sprains or bumps. The severe hemophiliac will have more frequent and severe bleeding. This bleeding may take place into joints, muscles, or body organs with no apparent injury, cause, or after surgery.
When a hemophiliac sustains an injury the first aid treatment is the same as for anyone else. In some instances an intravenous transfusion may be necessary to replace the missing clotting factor. This procedure takes approximately 10-20 minutes.
The majority of students with hemophilia can engage in many normal physical activities. Moderate exercise is an essential for the hemophiliac because it helps to strengthen muscles and help prevent joint damage. Modern treatment with biosynthetic factor VIII also helps them to lead a more normal life.
HEMOPHILIA
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