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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of hemophilia vary depending on how deficient you are in clot-forming proteins called clotting factors. If levels of your deficient clotting factor are very low, you may experience spontaneous bleeding. If levels of your deficient clotting factor are slightly to moderately low, you may bleed only after surgery or trauma.
Symptoms of spontaneous bleeding may include:
- Many large or deep bruises
- Joint pain and swelling caused by internal bleeding
- Unexplained bleeding or bruising
- Blood in your urine or stool
- Prolonged bleeding from cuts or injuries, or after surgery or tooth extraction
- Nosebleeds with no obvious cause
- Tightness in your joints
Emergency signs and symptoms of hemophilia may include:
- Sudden pain, swelling, and warmth of large joints, such as knees, elbows, hips and shoulders, and of the muscles of your arms and legs
- Bleeding from an injury, especially if you have a severe form of hemophilia
- Painful, lasting headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Extreme fatigue
- Neck pain
- Double vision
Babies with hemophilia
At first, because of limited mobility, a baby with hemophilia usually won't have many problems related to hemophilia. But as your baby begins to move around, falling and bumping into things, superficial bruises may occur. This bleeding into soft tissue may become more frequent the more active your child becomes.
When to see a doctor
If you're pregnant or considering a pregnancy and have a family history of hemophilia, talk to your doctor. He or she may refer you to a medical genetics specialist or a specialist in bleeding disorders, who can help you determine if you are a carrier of hemophilia. If you are a carrier, it's possible to test your child during pregnancy to see whether he or she has inherited the condition.
If you have a baby boy, prolonged bleeding following circumcision may be the first indication of hemophilia. In girls and in boys who aren't circumcised, easy bruising when the child becomes more mobile may lead to the diagnosis. The first episode of bleeding generally occurs by the time a child is 2 years old. If your baby bruises easily as he or she becomes more mobile, see your doctor.
- Ferri FF. Hemophilia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/127220953-8/819378765/1701/258.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04134-8..50011-2--subchapter13_5514. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Hoots KW, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of hemophilia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Hemophilia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hemophilia/hemophilia_what.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Hemophilia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec11/ch136/ch136d.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Hoots KW, et al. Treatment of hemophilia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Kessler CM. Hemorrhagic disorders: Coagulation factor deficiencies. In: Goldman L, et al., eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:697.
- Pruthi RK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 9, 2009.
