Acquired Hemophilia: Causes, Symptoms, Complications, And Treatment

Acquired Hemophilia is an autoimmune disorder. It is rare and has bleeding as its characteristic feature. It is not a hereditary disease and can occur in an individual who doesn't have any history of clotting disorders. It is caused when the body’s immune system self attacks its own healthy cells or tissues. It may be linked to some other autoimmune disorders of the body.

In the case of Acquired Hemophilia, the body forms antibodies or inhibitors which attack clotting factor VIII. As a result of this, complications such as spontaneous and uncontrolled bleeding occur post-surgery or trauma. This is accompanied by nose-bleeding, bruising, hematomas, hematuria, and bleeding through the urogenital tract.

These symptoms are life-threatening. Among all the cases of Acquired Hemophilia, around 50 % are related to a known and identifiable underlying cause while the remaining 50 % cases are with unknown causes.

Summary: Acquired Hemophilia is a rare type of autoimmune disorder. It does not occur in an individual from birth and is acquired in later stages of life. Uncontrolled bleeding is the main feature of this disease.

Acquired Hemophilia is a bleeding-related disorder that is fatal and caused by the formation of autoantibodies that work against one of the plasma coagulation factors i.e Factor VIII. It shows some symptoms mainly related to the bleeding. These symptoms include:

1. Hemorrhages or internal bleeding inside organs, skin, or muscles: It can be severe or life-threatening and requires medical treatment on an urgent basis.
2. Episodes of intra-articular bleeding: This is a serious symptom that needs urgent medical attention.
3. Epistaxis: This include bleeding from the nose.
4. The appearance of bruises on the whole body: It is a quite painful and discomforting condition.
5. Hematuria: It is the presence of blood in the urine.
6. Gastrointestinal bleeding: It involves bleeding through the pathway of the gut and intestine.
7. Urogenital bleeding: It means bloody discharge through the genital tract.
8. Formation of Hematomas: It is a swelling due to the collection of blood at a specific point.

Summary: Acquired Hemophilia is a rare condition that occurs when the body’s own immune system inhibits the functioning of the clotting factor (Factor VIII). It leads to uncontrolled bleeding and shows symptoms like haemorrhage, hematuria, hematomas, etc.

Acquired Hemophilia is categorized under autoimmune diseases which are caused due to a self-attack of the body’s immune system on healthy cells, tissues, or organs. It is quite rare and fatal. It occurs when the formation of autoantibodies takes place inside our body which works against Factor VIII among plasma coagulation factors.

These antibodies inhibit the functioning of Coagulation factor VIII, hence resulting in symptoms like spontaneous uncontrolled bleeding. Based on the average estimation, around 50 percent of the cases of Acquired Hemophilia are considered idiopathic.

Summary: Inhibition of one of the coagulation factors (Factor VIII) by the body's self immune system results in Acquired Hemophilia. Spontaneous and uncontrolled bleeding occurs in this condition which is caused due to self-invasion of antibodies formed by the immune system.

Acquired Hemophilia is diagnosed in the following steps:

• Proper examination of the patient - This includes examining the patient about any recent symptoms of bleeding having acute onset. The patient should be asked in detail about any previous history of bleeding. Examining abnormally increased activated partial thromboplastin time is also important in this step.
• Laboratory investigations.
• Mixing tests.

Summary: Diagnosis of Acquired Hemophilia should be done under the supervision of a specialist. This is the most important step as a better diagnosis is always followed by a better treatment plan and prognosis.

Acquired Hemophilia is an autoimmune disorder that is not present in an individual congenitally and is acquired later in some stages of life. The prevention of this disease is not possible.

However, the treatment is possible under the supervision of a specialized team of doctors at the hemophilia centers. The prevention steps are avoiding any risks of complications in such conditions and minimizing the symptoms.

Summary: Acquired Hemophilia is categorized under the group of autoimmune disorders, hence it cannot be prevented. However, steps can be taken for minimising the complications related to the disease.

The patient suffering from Acquired Hemophilia should be taken to the hemophilia centers where he would undergo proper treatment procedures under the supervision of a specialized team of doctors. The center should have the required equipment and facilities along with experienced doctors for the control and management of the disease.

However, the important steps to be taken by the patient with Acquired Hemophilia include minimizing risks of bleeding by avoiding any such actions like invasive procedures, injections in muscles, and use of drugs like NSAIDs and anti-platelet drugs.

Summary: It is important to undergo a proper diagnosis for conditions like Acquired hemophilia. This should be done under the supervision of a well-specialized team of doctors. A better diagnosis is always followed by a better treatment plan as well as a good prognosis.

Acquired Hemophilia is a life-threatening disease that occurs in an individual from birth or acquired later in life. This condition cannot get resolved spontaneously but needs proper treatment under the supervision of a well-specialized team of doctors at hemophilia centers. Only the risks of complications can be minimized in such conditions.

Acquired Hemophilia should be treated at the hemophilic center which is experienced in managing the disease. The patients suffering from Acquired Hemophilia contain inhibitors for the coagulation factor, which need to be treated under the supervision of a team of doctors specialized in the management of such inhibitors. The treatment steps include:

• Minimizing the bleeding risks - This can be done by avoiding any action which can cause bleeding. Those actions include invasive procedures, injections, or the use of NSAIDs or anti-platelets drugs.
• Proper treatment of the disease - This includes certain medications.
• Proper therapy for bleeding.
• Immunosuppressive therapy include eradication of inhibitors.
• Surgical therapy

Summary: The treatment of Acquired Hemophilia starts with a proper diagnosis under the supervision of an experienced team of doctors. The main treatment methods include therapies for bleeding, immunosuppressive therapy, and surgical therapy. Minimizing risks of bleeding is also important.

A well-balanced diet is always important for good health. In the case of Acquired Hemophilia, it is necessary for the overall well-being of the individual. Some of the food items which need to be consumed in this condition include:

• Less fat-containing food items such as low-fat milk or cheese.
• Dried fruits such as Almonds and walnuts.
• Fresh, green, and leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.
• Fresh fruits and juices.
• Whole grains.
• Cereals in fortified form.
• Beans and soy milk.

Summary: Recovery in conditions like Acquired Hemophilia is directly or indirectly linked to dietary intake. Consuming a well-balanced diet, enriched with essential nutrients and low in fat content is important for a better recovery and better health.

There are certain food items that need to be avoided in Acquired Hemophilia as consuming them may worsen the condition. Some of those food items include:

• High sugar beverages like soft drinks, carbonated drinks, and energy drinks.
• Large quantity of juices.
• Sauces and baked foods.
• Sweet dishes like pastries, candies, sauces, cookies, crackers, pizza, etc.
• Dairy products are high in fat content such as butter, lard, etc.
• Fried and deep-fried foods etc.

Summary: Food is always related to our health directly or indirectly. Hence, it is important to know well about the food items which aggravate conditions like Acquired Hemophilia and delay the recovery process. Such foods must be avoided.

The treatment of Acquired Hemophilia involves injections against inhibitors of clotting factors. These injections are periodic or given at regular intervals. This form of treatment includes some side effects such as:

• Nausea.
• Feeling sick.
• A severe form of headaches.
• Bad taste in the mouth and.
• Pain or swelling at the site of injection.

Summary: Treatment methods of Acquired Hemophilia including immunosuppressive therapy, surgical therapy, etc., show certain side effects. These are unavoidable and absolutely normal to occur post-treatment in any individual.

Acquired Hemophilia is a fatal or life-threatening disease. It is an autoimmune disorder that does not occur in an individual from birth. This condition cannot get resolved spontaneously or cannot be controlled by self medications. It requires urgent medical care and attention which involves proper treatment under the supervision of a well-specialized team of doctors at hemophilia centers.

Summary: Rare conditions like Acquired Hemophilia are related to the symptoms of uncontrolled bleeding, hematoma, hematuria, etc. These are serious and life-threatening, hence need to be given urgent medical care and attention.

Acquired Hemophilia is a lifelong condition and does not have any cure till now. It can only be controlled and managed by several treatment methods including immunosuppressive therapy, bleeding therapy, and certain medications. The treatment involved in this disease is lifelong and carried out periodically throughout the life of the affected individual.

Summary: Being a non-curable lifelong condition, patients with Acquired Hemophilia can undergo treatment to control the symptoms and improve their quality of life. It can't cure the disease but can enable the affected individual to lead a normal life.

Acquired Hemophilia treatment involves transfusion of blood in the patient. This needs the administration of blood units at regular intervals throughout the life of the affected individual. Each unit costs around INR 20 which should be multiplied by the number of units needed by the patient. The overall expense which comes, as a result, is INR 10 lakh per annum.

Summary: The treatment of rare diseases like Acquired Hemophilia is quite expensive as it involves periodic blood transfusion throughout the life of an affected individual. The overall treatment cost is considered to be 10 lakh per annum.

Physical exercises are necessary for patients with Acquired Hemophilia. Lack of activities and movement in such patients can lead to conditions like obesity and loss in bone density, which is quite harmful. These may even worsen the condition of hemophilia, hence it is important to implement mild exercises on a regular basis to prevent such complications. However, severe forms of exercise should not be preferred as they may increase the chances of injury or bleeding.

Some of the preferred exercises include:

• Stretching: This is a mild form of exercise that can be performed in Acquired Hemophilia.
• Yoga: Yogas provide relaxation to the mind. These also improve overall blood circulation throughout the body.
• Meditation: It calms the mind and reduces stress. This is important for a faster and better recovery.
• Regular physical activities: It is good to do regular physical activities so as to maintain the proper blood circulation in the body.
• Walking: This includes brisk walking. It is necessary for the healthy well-being of the individual.

Summary: Lack of physical activities and exercise in a person suffering from acquired hemophilia can lead to obesity and loss in bone density, which can further complicate the condition. Hence, it is better to adopt exercises on a daily basis, especially in a mild form.

The treatment of Acquired Hemophilia involves the application of certain medications. The best-considered medicine for its treatment is Porcine sequence recombinant FVIII which has been approved by the FDA. It can be used safely in all hemophilic patients for treating episodes of bleeding.

Summary: Application of certain medicines is one of the treatment methods for Acquired hemophilia. The best-considered medicine for treating this condition is Porcine sequence recombinant FVIII which has been approved by the FDA.

The treatment methods for Acquired Hemophilia usually involve blood transfusion therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, and eradication of autoantibodies or inhibitors. These methods cannot cure the disease permanently but can only minimize the severity of symptoms and prevent further complications. The treatment enables the affected individual to lead a normal healthy life but cannot make him get rid of this completely.

Summary: The treatment of Acquired Hemophilia can only control and manage the disease. It can't cure the condition, hence the results which we can get are not permanent. It improves the quality of the affected individual during the disease.

Some of the alternative methods for the treatment of Acquired Hemophilia include the following:

• Application of the drug Desmopressin.
• Use of antifibrinolytic medicines.
• Treatment involving a particular or specific site for bleeding.

Summary: Immunosuppressive therapy, bleeding therapy, and certain medications are the basic ways to treat Acquired Hemophilia. However, there are some alternatives for the treatment including the use of antifibrinolytic drugs and also the use of Desmopressin.

Acquired Hemophilia is a life-threatening condition that occurs in an individual from birth or acquired in later stages of life. This condition cannot get resolved spontaneously but needs proper treatment under the supervision of a well-specialized team of doctors. Individuals of any age group can develop this condition and every person is eligible for treatment.

Acquired Hemophilia can affect individuals of any age group. The disease can be controlled and managed only by certain treatment methods. Hence, every person who is suffering from this condition has to undergo proper treatment and is eligible for it.

Some of the post-treatment guidelines need to be followed by the individuals suffering from Acquired Hemophilia. These guidelines include:

• Proper dental care.
• Regular medical checks up to check for the occurrence of any infection.
• Regular vaccinations are important to build up immunity against other infections.
• Regular physical activities or mild exercises.
• Avoid medicines like aspirin.

Summary: Acquired Hemophilia is a fatal disease that occurs in an individual from birth or acquired later in some stages of life. It cannot get resolved spontaneously but needs proper treatment under the supervision of well-specialized doctors at hemophilia centers. The disease is a lifelong condition and is not curable at any stage.