Hemophilia

Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally.
If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others afteran injury. You also may bleed inside your body (internally), especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs and tissues andmay be life threatening.
Hemophilia usually is inherited. "Inherited” means that the disorder is passed from parents to children through genes.
People bornwith hemophilia have little or no clotting factor. Clotting factor is a protein needed for normal blood clotting. There are several types of clottingfactors. These proteins work with platelets (PLATE-lets) to help the blood clot.
Platelets are small blood cell fragments that form in the bone marrow—a sponge-liketissue in the bones. Platelets play a major role in blood clotting. When blood vessels are injured, clotting factors help platelets stick together to plugcuts and breaks on the vessels and stop bleeding.
The two main types of hemophilia are A and B. If you have hemophilia A, you're missing or have low levels ofclotting factor VIII (8). About 9 out of 10 people who have hemophilia have type A. If you have hemophilia B, you're missing or have low levels of clottingfactor IX (9).
Rarely, hemophilia can be acquired. "Acquired” means you aren't born with the disorder, but you develop it during your lifetime. This can happenif your body forms antibodies (proteins) that attack the clotting factors in your bloodstream. The antibodies can prevent the clotting factors from working.