Hemophilia is defined by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as a rare bleeding disorder that interferes with normal blood clotting, meaning patients with hemophilia are at risk for internal, severe, and even life-threatening bleeding due to a minor abrasion or injury. While instances of hemophilia range from mild to severe, only roughly 10% of patients are considered “severe” hemophiliacs. The severity of hemophilia is dependant upon the amount of clotting (a blood protein that interacts with blood platelets for clotting) factor in the specific patient’s blood.

Hemophilia is deemed either “inherited” (meaning the patient inherits hemophilia from a parent), or “acquired” (which is much rarer and occurs when the patient develops antibodies that seek to destroy healthy clotting factors within the blood). Hemophiliacs are also diagnosed in types A and B:

• Type A hemophiliacs make up about 8% of patients who have zero to low blood clotting factor 8 (or VIII)
• Type B hemophiliacs have low levels of blood clotting factor 9 (or IX).

The major treatments for hemophilia aims to able the blood to clot normally via replacing the low or missing clotting factor though the following means:

1. Replacement clotting factor therapy (RCFT)

The foremost treatment for hemophilia is known as replacement clotting factor therapy, which aims to replace the low or missing proteins (i.e., VIII for hemophilia A and IX for hemophilia B) needed for normal clotting intravenously or blood drip. Depending on the severity of hemophilia, patients may need occasional replacement therapy following an injury, or they may be prescribed regular or continuous RCFT.  Clotting factor concentrates are usually screened and donated human blood, however, recombinant clotting factors, which are genetically engineered using DNA technology, are also used to further reduce any risk of contracting a bloodborne virus.

2. Antifibrinolytics

These clot-preserving drugs aim to impede blood clots from breaking down in hemophilia patients.

3. Physical therapy

In cases of internal bleeding following an injury to a joint (i.e, knee or elbow), physical therapy is often recommended in combination with other treatments prevent further damaged the affected joint.

4. Fibrin sealants

Fibrin sealants work as BandAid-like medications, which are directly administered to the wound, cut (in surgery), or abrasion to trigger clotting and aid healing

5. Desmopressin

Known simply as DDAVP, this hormone replacement therapy is administered intravenously or as a nasal spray to encourage the natural release of the missing or low clotting factor.