Bleeding tendency

General or Other | Hematology | Bleeding tendency (Disease)


Description

Bleeding tendency also known as bleeding diathesis is a medical condition characterized by an unusual susceptibility to hemorrhage.

Hemophilia is not one disease but rather one of a group of inherited bleeding disorders that cause abnormal or exaggerated bleeding and poor blood clotting. The term is most commonly used to refer to two specific conditions known as hemophilia A and hemophilia B. Hemophilia A and B are distinguished by the specific gene that is mutated (altered to become defective) and codes for a defective clotting factor (protein) in each disease. Rarely, hemophilia C is encountered, but its effect on clotting is far less pronounced than A or B.

The following are some complications of coagulopathies, some of them caused by their treatments: soft tissue bleeding - deep-muscle bleeding, leading to swelling, numbness or pain of a limb, joint damage, potentially with severe pain and even destruction of the joint and development of arthritis, retinal bleeding, transfusion transmitted infection, from blood transfusions that are given as treatment, anemia, exsanguination which means bleeding to death and cerebral hemorrhage.

Causes and Risk factors

The usual cause is hypocoagulability. Also, bleeding diathesis can be caused by thinning of the skin or impaired wound healing. There are many causes to vessel defects: hereditary such as Ehlers Danlos syndrome, nutrient deficiency like Vitamin C deficiency, drug such as steroids induced, senile purpura caused by ageing, certain streptococcal, meningococcal infections, malignancies like lymphoma and leukemia.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Treatment is dependent on the underlying condition. ...