Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder. People who have hemophilia have a deficiency or an absence of a coagulation protein. A blood clotting factor is deficient or absent. Bleeding is most often into joints, such as the knee, elbow, or ankle, but bleeding can occur anywhere in the body. (Hemophilia 4) People with hemophilia bleed longer, not faster. The severity of hemophilia varies greatly. Hemophilia A and Hemophilia B are the most common genetic bleeding disorders. Hemophilia A is observed in 80 percent of hemophiliacs and is a deficiency or absence of Factor VIII. (Collins 2) It can also be referred to as "classic" hemophilia. In the second most common, hemophilia B, factor IX is missing. This is also known as the "Christmas Disease" because of the surname of the first patient studied.( Berkow 1) Hemophilia was identified as early as biblical times. Doctors in medieval times were familiar with it as well. In 1803, a Philadelphia doctor published the first description of hemophilia in the United States. But it was not until 30 years later that hemophilia became widely recognized. Hemophilia later developed a reputation as the "royal disease" because it passed from Queen Victoria of England to her descendants throu
Bleeding in the mouth can be troublesome and messy, but is usually minor as long as there is no swelling of, or bruise, under the tongue. Blood mixed with saliva may make the bleeding look much worse than it actually is. Older persons with hemophilia will know when they are bleeding, long before there is any externally noticeable symptom. While it does depend on the individual, one can expect a grown person with hemophilia to manage their own condition and treatment effectively in most cases. (Collins 2) There are two major processes involved in blood clotting. The first part has to do with platelets. They are like little shingles which go to where a blood vessel has ruptured, and they stick over the hole and make a plug. This is the first step of making a clot. The plug is only temporary, and the platelets can easily fall off. The platelets soon rupture and release chemicals that attract more platelets and make them "sticky", too. The chemicals released by the rupturing platelets also activate various clotting factors which are proteins in the blood. The next step is that fibers form from the activated proteins and mix with the platelets. The fibers are like a net, or a weave of yarn, and they make the clot stronger. The substance that makes the fibers is called fibrinogen. There are twelve factors which work together to make the fibrinogen. People with hemophilia have a problem with one or more of those factors. The most common of the twelve factors to have a problem is factor VIII, which causes hemophilia A. The second most common to have a problem is factor IX, and this causes hemophilia B. (Collins 2) Patients should discuss with their physicians which factor VIII replacement therapy is best for them. Inhibitors are proteins called antibodies that are made by our immune system to defend us from harmful disease. When our immune system identifies a foreign substance, it makes antibodies that will specifically recognize that substance and destroy it. In some individuals with severe hemophilia, the factor VIII replacement therapy is identified as a foreign substance by their immune system. If this happens, their immune system will make antibodies against factor VIII. These antibodies will inhibit the ability of the factor to work in the clotting process. The higher the antibody or inhibitor level, the more factor VIII replacement therapy it takes to overcome the inhibition and produce clotting. This can complicate the treatment of a bleed. The good news is that there are different types of therapies available to successfully treat most individuals who develop inhibitors. (Collins 2) It is crucial to also beware of a complaint from an older child of a "pulled musc
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1816
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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