| Haemophilia is a blood condition in which an | | | | hemophilia. |
| essential clotting factor is either partly or | | | | Hemophilia (heem-o-FILL-ee-ah) is a rare, inherited |
| completely missing. This causes a person with | | | | bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn’t |
| haemophilia to bleed for longer than normal. Cuts | | | | clot normally. If you have hemophilia, you may |
| and grazes are not great problems as a little | | | | bleed for a longer time than others after an |
| pressure and a plaster are usually enough to stop | | | | injury. You also may bleed internally, especially in |
| bleeding. The main problem is internal bleeding into | | | | your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can |
| joints, muscles and soft tissues. Haemophilia is a | | | | damage your organs or tissues and, sometimes, |
| lifelong inherited genetic condition, which affects | | | | be fatal. |
| females as carriers and males who inherit the | | | | The lack of clotting factor causes people with |
| condition. About a third of new diagnoses are | | | | haemophilia to bleed for longer periods of time |
| where there is no previous family history. It | | | | than people whose blood factor levels are normal. |
| appears world-wide and occurs in all racial groups. | | | | People with haemophilia do not bleed faster than |
| Haemophilia is a hereditary condition. This means | | | | other people, and will not bleed to death from a |
| that it is passed on from mother to child at the | | | | minor cut or injury. The main problem for people |
| time of birth. The blood of a person with | | | | with haemophilia is bleeding internally, mainly into |
| hemophilia does not clot normally. He does not | | | | muscles and joints. |
| bleed more profusely or more quickly than other | | | | Haemophilia is used to describe continuous bleeding |
| people; however, he bleeds for a longer time. | | | | post-injury. This can lead to extensive |
| The Society was established in 1950 and is the | | | | haemorrhaging, typically in the joints and muscles, |
| national charity in the UK of and for people with | | | | following injury and, in severe cases, without any |
| haemophilia, von Willebrand's and related bleeding | | | | recognisable signs. Joint bleeding is painful and, if |
| disorders. We have over 4000 members and | | | | left untreated, can lead to persistent joint |
| supporter as well as a network of 16 local groups | | | | damage, possibly culminating in permanent |
| throughout the UK. We provide information, | | | | destruction of the joints. Muscle injuries also have |
| advice and support services and we advocate and | | | | widespread repercussions in haemophiliacs. |
| campaign to secure the best possible care and | | | | Bleeding is mostly internal. The deficiency in |
| treatment. | | | | clotting factors is associated with a wide range of |
| Haemophilia in European royalty featured | | | | bleeding episodes, usually into the joints or |
| prominently and thus is sometimes known as "the | | | | muscles. These bleeding episodes, or 'bleeds', may |
| royal disease". Queen Victoria passed the | | | | occur spontaneously (apparently without any |
| mutation to her son Leopold and, through several | | | | cause), or as a result of trauma (injury). Bleeding |
| of her daughters, to various royals across the | | | | can be stopped by infusion of the appropriate |
| continent, including the royal families of Spain, | | | | clotting factor by intravenous injection. If internal |
| Germany, and Russia. Tsarevich Alexei | | | | bleeding is not quickly stopped with treatment, it |
| Nikolaevich, son of Nichola II, was a descendant of | | | | will result in pain, swelling and damage to the |
| Queen Victoria and suffered from hemophilia. It | | | | tissues. Over a period of time, bleeding into joints |
| was claimed that Rasputin was successful at | | | | and muscles causes permanent damage (such as |
| treating the Tsarevich Alexei of Russia's | | | | arthritis in the joints) and chronic pain. |