Awareness on Hemophilia

What do you do when you cut yourself accidently while chopping vegetables, hurt your toe while playing football/cricket at school or nick your chin while shaving? Most people would apply a little pressure if the cut is small and let it heal on its own, or clean the area and cover it with cotton if the cut is a little deep.

Can you imagine a situation where the bleeding does not stop from this seemingly uneventful cut or nick?

Haemophilia/Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder that is life threatening.

In persons with Hemophilia blood does not clot or coagulate normally due to a deficiency or the absence of clotting Proteins or Factors. Bleeding can be both external and internal even with minor injuries. The disease is incurable in nature and very expensive in terms of medication and care. Prolonged and recurrent bleeding can lead to permanent disabilities and bleeding from sensitive organs can lead even to death.

The blood coagulation mechanism is a process which transforms the blood from a liquid into a solid, and involves several different clotting factors. The mechanism generates fibrin which when activated, together with the platelet plug, stops the bleeding.

When coagulation factors are missing or deficient the blood does not clot properly and bleeding continues.

Patients with Hemophilia A or B have an X- linked genetic defect which results in a deficiency in one of the blood clotting factors VIII or IX.

Causes of Hemophilia

Persons with Hemophilia are born with it. It is caused by a fault in one of the genes that determine how the body makes blood clotting factor VIII or IX. These genes are located on the X chromosome.

Symptoms of Hemophilia

Hemophilia symptoms vary, depending on the degree of blood clotting factor (coagulation factor) deficiency and they also depend on the nature of any injury.

Three levels of hemophilia are recognized, according to the level of clotting factor amounts in the blood. Mild hemophilia may not have any symptoms until an event occurs which wounds the skin or tissue, such as a dental procedure or surgery, and results in prolonged bleeding. Those with inherited moderate hemophilia will be noticeable early on. The

Types of Hemophilia

There  are two main types of hemophilia - Hemophilia A (due to factor VIII deficiency) and Hemophilia B (due to factor IX deficiency). They are clinically almost identical and are associated with spontaneous bleeding into joints and muscles and internal or external bleeding after injury or surgery. Acquired Hemophilia does not have a genetic history, the person develops this when the antibodies present in his/her body attack the clotting factors thereby preventing the mechanism from functioning properly. Patients here can be both male and female and the pattern of bleeding here is markedly different. This disorder is particularly associated with old age and sometimes complicates pregnancy.

Prenatal Testing : A pregnant women with a history of hemophilia is given a gene test during pregnancy, whereby a sample of placenta is removed from the uterus and tested for hemophilia, this test is called Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). Alternately if the child is suspected to have hemophilia, a simple blood test can determine whether the child/patient has hemophilia A/B and how severe the condition is? 

Treatment of Hemophilia

Persons with Hemophilia and their family will require genetic counseling under the expert guidance of a Hematologist.

Ageing and continuing good health

April 7th is World Health Day. The theme for World health day this year is Ageing and good health. 

Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of sick. Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as the citizens of the other place. -- Susan Sontag 

Thankfully, with the evolution in medical technology, recourse to advanced medical and holistic treatments and general awareness to good health, the longevity of man has extended.

The World Health Organization is celebrating the world health day this year by focusing on ageing and continuing good health.

Life expectancy is going up in most countries, meaning more and more people live longer and enter an age when they may need health care. Meanwhile birth rates are generally falling. Countries and health care systems will need to find innovative and sustainable ways to cope with the demographic shift.

 And with the extension in the life span of man, society has an added responsibility of ensuring that the first citizens of our world are given the best of facilities both psychosocially and medically.

Ageing increase the risk of some diseases and conditions but good nutrition, exercise and positive attitude can help keep one mentally and physically active .

Being Prepared

Learning how to manage conditions like menopause, arthritis, osteoporosis and depression will help you prepare for the future and face the conditions in a more positive frame of mind.

Staying active:

Regular exercise be it walking, gardening, cycling, swimming etc. will not only boost your physical and mental health, but will also improve muscle mass and bone strength.

Balanced Eating:

A balanced diet that includes adequate nutrients, fibre and water is necessary for a healthy body of any age. Good nutrition and weight management is impartial to age.

Healthy Ageing:

Ageing  affects the muscles, bones, joints and skin as well as the mind.

Keeping mentally and physically fit is the key to a stress free life.

Enjoying good health in old age is something that we all wish for and typically like in all other strata’s in life the foundation should start early and be laid strongly. Sadly for many people this often turns out not to be the case, as various chronic age-related illnesses affect the wellbeing of so many of us.

Remembering that older persons play a crucial role in their communities - they engage in paid or volunteering work, transmit experience and knowledge, and help their families with caring responsibilities can help preserve their pride in themselves and make their upkeep both a pleasant and valuable experience for both the generations. These contributions can only be ensured if they enjoy good health and if societies address their needs.