Hemophilia: Why Some People Bleed Excessively

WHAT IS HAEMOPHILIA
Haemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder where the person lacks the ability to form a clot which results in prolong bleeding. Some facts about haemophilia are

-persons with haemophilia do not bleed faster but longer
-haemophilia is not contagious
-one third of cases happens where there is no family
-haemophilia affects people of every race, color, tribe and religion

*SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS*
-post circumcision bleed
-umbilical cord bleed
-easy bruising
-nose bleeds
-haematoma (bleeding to the joints) this result in swelling of the joints.

*How is haemophilia diagnosed?*

If haemophilia is suspected in an individual, the simple laboratory tests at point of care testing include determination of the level of Factor VIII or Factor IX activity in a blood sample. Low levels of factor VIII indicates haemophilia A whereas low levels of factor IX indicate Haemophilia B.
The severity of each is classified thus:
Severe: Less than 1% of normal factor VIII or factor IX activity in the blood
Moderate: 1- 5% of normal
Mild: 5 – 30% of normal
The less amount of factor VIII or Factor IX produced by the body, the more severe the haemophilia

In developed countries, if the mother is a known carrier of hemophilia, testing can be done before a baby is born. Prenatal diagnosis are done at 9 to 11 weeks by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or by fetal blood sampling at a later stage (18 or more weeks).

These tests can be done at a Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC). The departments of Haematology and Blood Transfusions at the following hospitals serve as HTCs in Nigeria. They are:
– Ahmad Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika
-Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba
– University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city
– University College Hospital, Ibadan
– Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano
– University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku
– State Specialist Hospital, Akure
– Gombe Teaching Hospital, Gombe
-Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi
– Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto
– Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kebbi
– University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt
– Lautech Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho
– Kaduna state University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna

Locate the closest HTC to you.

No permanent cure but it can be well managed