Blood clotting disorders in women often overlooked

On today’s day hemophilias are at the forefront of the hospital. In contrast to general belief, women also suffer from blood clotting disorders, so they have prepared an exhibition entitled As part of Awareness Even women and girls bleedwhich is on display at the Ljubljana Congress Square until 30 April.

The exhibition presented the true testimonies of the affected. « We are aware that such experiences are under -exposed in the broader social consciousness, especially when it comes to girls and women who often do not recognize early symptoms and consequently suffer for a long time without having adequate diagnoses or help, » the Hemophilia Society of Slovenia emphasizes.

On the day of hemophilia, they want to point out, in particular, that blood clotting disorders in women are often overlooked or incorrectly diagnosed.

About 330 women live in Slovenia with a congenital blood clotting disorder. Depending on the expected prevalence, however, the number is unlikely to reflect the actual situation, since the symptoms of the disease, which is mostly lightweight, are usually recognized by the hospital or the profession as something abnormal. Severe menstrual bleeding, observed by a third of women in childbearing potential, can be a leader, as well as the only symptom of the disease. Every other woman seeks medical attention because of this. Of them, blood clotting disorder is defined in 15-30 percent, according to a hematologist dr. Barbara Faganel Kotnik.

Congenital blood clotting disorders include incurable, generally hereditary hemophilia A diseases, hemophilia B, von Willebrand disease, lack of other solidification factors and disorders of impaired platelet function. Women is more important for von Willebrand’s disease, which is a lack or disorder of the functions of von Willebrand factor, which leads to more pronounced mucosal bleeding.

In women, it is known in monthly bleeding, where the important rule is 7-2-1. The number seven in the rule represents the duration of menstruation, which should not last longer than seven days. If a woman has to change the cartridges for two hours or less, it is not a normal bleeding. It is also the cause of the care of a clot that a woman eliminates during menstruation if it is larger than a one euro coin, which is number one.

There are about 700 people in Slovenia with blood clotting disorder, hemophilia has about 230, and several dozen children. In principle, ten thousand people are considered to be one hemophilic, a long time ago in conversation for Work said Janez DolinšekPresident of the Hemophilia Society of Slovenia. In the past, life with this disease was very difficult, the mortality rate is high, with the progress of medicine and the development of treatment has changed a lot.

« Today, hemophiliacs live almost a normal life, especially those who have received preventative treatment (prophylaxis) in childhood and are virtually no different from peers, » emphasized the hematologist and hemophilia expert from the Clinical Department of Hemophilia UKC Ljubljana Irena Preložnik Zupan It is at a recent public stand designed to discuss rare diseases.