Everyday Tips for Hemophilia Management
Hemophilia is a condition where a person bleeds continuously after an injury without being able to clot. This is due to the absence of clotting factors in the blood and is a congenital disorder that is caused by some genetic variations. Here are some lifestyle tips that will be of help to hemophilia patients for daily management.
1. Injury While Playing
Sports that involve a lot of falling or that carry a high risk of injuries like football, soccer, and basketball are to be avoided. These might injure the joints where the synovial membrane that covers the joint gets damaged and blood vessels in it might bleed and leak into the joints causing warmth, tenderness, inflammation, and severe pain around the injured area making even mobility difficult.
2. Injury With Accidents
While traveling, it is necessary to wear seatbelts and helmets and make sure to have all protective gear in place to avoid injury. Head injury is seen as a major cause in patients with hemophilia during a fall or an accident. Trauma to the head leads to intracranial bleeding where a blood vessel leaks in the brain leading to brain damage and even death. Driving slowly along with protective measures can help a great deal to avoid accidents.
3. Injury With Objects
Most people tend to bleed due to an accidental cut with sharp objects, tripping over something or falling on something sharp, or while walking on a slippery floor. Objects that can be risky for people with hemophilia should be kept away. Care should be taken to carve your own space at home and office free from any fine or sharp edges and is a very important lifestyle tip for hemophilia.
4. Keeping Obesity at Bay
Excessive pressure on the joint due to obesity causes inflammation and bleeding into the joint. This bleeding can worsen and finally damage the joint causing decreased or complete immobility impacting the quality of life to a large extent. Thus, reducing a good amount of weight has proven to be one of the effective lifestyle tips for hemophilia.
5. Medications
Some pain medications and NSAIDs like ibuprofen and Aleve are strongly contraindicated for hemophilia. Also, blood thinners like aspirin and warfarin should not be taken. It is highly recommended to seek a physician’s advice when taking over-the-counter medications in case of hemophilia as some medications cause internal bleeding in the intestines too.
6. Dental Hygiene
This is of utmost importance because good oral hygiene can prevent infections and promote healthy gums, which can be a source of bleeding and also it prevents cavities and dental caries, which can lead to tooth extraction, which again leads to bleeding that has to be dealt with carefully. So, if one suffers from hemophilia, it is necessary to practice good dental and oral hygiene to prevent bleeding, and is another lifestyle tip for hemophilia.