Everything you wanted to know about HEMOPHILIA but were afraid to ask!
Just what is HEMOPHILIA?
Simply, it is a blood clotting disorder. That means, when you get a wound, it will not stop bleeding!
If you do not have hemophilia, your blood clots and stops the bleeding. If you have it, it won't because your blood does not have the materials it needs to clot or stop the bleeding.
The "ROYAL DISEASE"!
An interesting fact about hemophilia...it is also called the ROYAL DISEASE! This is because there is a large number of male royalty who have suffered from this disorder.
Queen Victoria was proven to be a carrier of the defective gene and so were several of her sons who died of what seemed as minor injuries. The disease spread as her descendants (children, grandchildren, great grandchildren...) married into other royal families across Europe. One famous royal with hemophilia was Queen Victoria’s great grandson Crown Prince Alexei of Russia‘s Romanov family. Interestingly, the prince's condition was said to be a contributing factor to the Russian Revolution.
Simply, it is a blood clotting disorder. That means, when you get a wound, it will not stop bleeding!
If you do not have hemophilia, your blood clots and stops the bleeding. If you have it, it won't because your blood does not have the materials it needs to clot or stop the bleeding.
The "ROYAL DISEASE"!
An interesting fact about hemophilia...it is also called the ROYAL DISEASE! This is because there is a large number of male royalty who have suffered from this disorder.
Queen Victoria was proven to be a carrier of the defective gene and so were several of her sons who died of what seemed as minor injuries. The disease spread as her descendants (children, grandchildren, great grandchildren...) married into other royal families across Europe. One famous royal with hemophilia was Queen Victoria’s great grandson Crown Prince Alexei of Russia‘s Romanov family. Interestingly, the prince's condition was said to be a contributing factor to the Russian Revolution.
INTERESTING FACTS:
Famous Hemophiliacs...
- Hemophilia is a common bleeding disorder.
- There are 3 types, Hemophilia A, B, and C.
- Females are carriers
of the defective gene, but rarely suffer from it. Although there are
reported cases of females exhibiting (showing) symptoms of Hemophilia C, it usually
comes out later in age and not as severe (bad) as in males.
- Females with the defective gene has a 50% chance of passing it to her daughter.
- Males with the defective gene will SURELY pass it to his daughter.
- Males with the defective gene will NEVER pass it to his son.
- Although majority of hemophiliacs inherit the disease, hemophilia can also be ACQUIRED because of drugs/medication side effects and lack of Vitamin K!
- Hemophilia B is also known as the "Christmas Disease" because it was named after the Stephen Christmas who was one of the first person diagnosed with the Factor 9 deficiency.
Famous Hemophiliacs...
- Crown Prince Alexei of Russia
- Richard Burton (movie star in the 60s to 70s, married to purple-eyed Elizabeth Taylor)
- Prince Leopold, son of Queen Victoria
- Ryan White (13 year old American who contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. He fought for his right to attend school even if he had AIDS)