Hemophilia is when the blood does not clot and so bleeding, both inside and outside the body, does not stop. There is no cure for hemophilia at the moment. However, treatments are available that can be very successful in giving patients a full and healthy lifestyle. What treatment a patient will need depends on the type of hemophilia they have. The type of hemophilia is determined by the missing clotting factor. Missing factor VIII means that the patient has hemophilia A. Consequently, hemophilia A treatment is what you will look for.
Hemophilia A is genetic. Most of the time, patients will be diagnosed when they are still quite young. Depending on how little factor VIII a patient has will indicate whether they have mild, moderate, or severe hemophilia A. The difference in severity of the condition will also contribute to the difference of hemophilia A treatment.
Hemophilia A Treatment: Replacement Therapy
The main goal of treatment for hemophilia A is to replace the body’s factor VIII. This is called replacement therapy; it helps to control hemophilia by helping blood clots to form. When treated for hemophilia, patients will receive a concentrated version of factor VIII via an injection directly into a vein.
Several different drugs are useful for replacement therapy in hemophilia A treatment. These drugs are helpful in preventing bleeding episodes and controlling them.
Patients with severe hemophilia A may need regular treatments of a replacement therapy drug to prevent bleeding from occurring. However, patients with milder hemophilia A may only need to take the drug when they start bleeding.
Most of the time, replacement therapy is enough to treat patients with hemophilia A. In some cases, however, the patient’s body may reject the drug. This is when the body starts to produce antibodies to the drug, thus making it less effective. In these cases, patients should speak to their doctors and doctors will try to find another solution.
Talk to your doctor to find the right hemophilia A treatment for you.
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