Why do people with hemophilia A bleed?

People with hemophilia A bleed because they lack or have a shortage of factor VIII (FVIII). FVIII is a protein in our blood that is supposed to help us stop bleeding when we get hurt. Blood travels through the body through blood vessels. When blood vessels are damaged during an injury, we have many proteins in our blood that work together to form a sticky substance called a clot to stop blood from leaking. FVIII is one of those proteins that has an important job in forming clots. People who don’t have as much FVIII in their blood have a difficult time forming clots and keep bleeding when they aren’t supposed to. This is why people with hemophilia A bleed for a long time unless they get medication to stop the bleeding. Some people with severe hemophilia A take medication prophylactically, or before they get injured. This gives them a boost of FVIII in their blood so if they get injured, they have some FVIII to form clots. To learn more about blood clots, visit this site: http://www.wfh.org/en/page.aspx?pid=635

Other Questions About Hemophilia A

• Will my child’s lifespan be limited by hemophilia A?
• Why should I tell people at my child’s school about his hemophilia A?
• Why do people with hemophilia A bleed?
• Who else in my family should get testing for hemophilia A?
• Who are the experts in hemophilia A?