15 Prevailing Causes of Hemophilia

There are a variety of bleeding disorders, and by far, the most prevalent, is hemophilia; however, while it is the most common bleeding disorder, it is still considered a rare condition. Hemophilia isn’t a single disease; rather, it is a collection of disorders. Generally, hemophilia is a genetic disorder, meaning that the genes that are responsible for blood clotting become deformed, and as a result, they become defective.

In rare cases, however, hemophilia can be an acquired disorder and occurs as a result of autoimmune disease; the immune system attacks blood clotting factors. In all cases of hemophilia, excessive bleeding is the most common symptom.

Other symptoms can include unexplained, excessive and severe bruising, and pain and stiffness in the joints. Hemophilia is a serious condition, and while there is no cure, it can be managed. 

Below, we’ll look at some eight of the most common causes of hemophilia. 

1. Inheritance. 

Usually, hemophilia is inherited; it is passed down through bloodlines. Someone who has hemophilia can pass the bleeding disorder on to their child. The condition occurs as a result of a genetic mutation, and this mutation is passed on to future generations. Every person has two sex chromosomes; one comes from their mother and one comes from their father, and these chromosomes are either X or Y. Males have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes, meaning that males inherit a Y chromosome from their fathers and they inherit X chromosomes from their mothers, while females inherit an X chromosome from both their father and their mother.

As such, if a parent has hemophilia, they can pass it onto their children on either the X or the Y chromosome; though males are more likely to exhibit symptoms, while females are usually only carriers.