Symptoms of Hemophilia A

The symptoms of hemophilia A depend on the severity of the condition. The most common symptoms are excessive bleeding and easy bruising. People with mild hemophilia A may only experience symptoms in certain instances, such as following a dental procedure, accident or surgery. In these cases, it is important to let your dentist and other healthcare professionals to know about your condition so they can take necessary precautions.

Other symptoms of hemophilia A include:

• Bleeding in the mouth from a cut or bite or from losing a tooth
• Heavy or constant nosebleeds for no obvious reason
• Heavy bleeding from a minor cut
• Cuts that begin to bleed again after having stopped for a short time
• Blood in the urine or stool (typically resulting from bleeding in internal organs)
• Tightness, swelling, warmth and/or pain in the joints

People with moderate to severe hemophilia A can also experience occasional bleeding episodes without obvious cause. These are called “spontaneous bleeding episodes.” These episodes happen more frequently in severe cases, often causing bleeding into the joints and muscles.

For parents: Noticing signs in your child

At first, parents of a child with hemophilia A are unlikely to notice symptoms in their baby. This is particularly common when parents are unaware of a family history of hemophilia. In 30% of cases, the first indication of a bleeding disorder will occur when a male child is circumcised. Otherwise, the signs of hemophilia A are not usually noticeable until the child is a toddler, when injuries are more common.

Signs that your toddler might have hemophilia include:

• Prolonged nosebleeds
• Excessive bruising, sometimes raised, often appearing on the stomach, chest, buttocks and back
• Mouth bleeds when a child bites on his or her lips or tongue, as toddlers tend to do

The most common types of bleeds — though not the most obvious — are muscle or joint bleeds. These bleeds might be identified by observing a child who does not want to move the affected area because of the pain.