Hemophilia refers to a group of bleeding disorders in which it takes a long time for the blood to clot. The main symptom of hemophilia is bleeding. There are three types of hemophilia: Hemophilia A, Hemophilia B and Von Willebrand disease.
Mild cases may go unnoticed until later in life, when they occur during surgery or after trauma. In more severe cases, serious bleeding may occur without any cause. Internal bleeding may occur anywhere.
Bleeding into joints is common. Many people with hemophilia are able to lead normal lives. However, some patients have major bleeding events, most commonly bleeding into the joint spaces.
A small percentage of people with hemophilia may die from severe bleeding. Hemophilia is caused by a lack of enough factor VIII or IX, special proteins in the blood that cause it to clot. Sometimes these proteins can be replaced through intravenous infusions.