Many blood diseases involve a disorder and malfunctioning of the various blood cells. Some of these diseases can be treated while others such as genetic blood disorders like hemophilia can only be regulated or require blood transfusion instead. The blood diseases majorly result from the deficiency or abnormalities of the blood cell in the body.
The lifestyle of a person can also contribute to the blood disease although in a small percentage. Research shows that blood disorders usually revolves around malfunctioning of the red blood cells, blood vessels, platelets, bone marrow and the proteins that are involved in blood clotting. An experienced pediatric hematologist is required to treat these conditions. The following are major blood diseases.
Hemophilia
This is a genetic blood disorder that makes the body to be unable to clot when one is injured. When the blood vessel is broken, it will pose a danger to the health of a patient because of the spontaneous bleeding. This disease is challenging to detect following a surgical procedure.
Hemophilia is a seriously dangerous defect because even with a minor injury, the victim will require medication or a blood transfusion to stop the bleeding. The problem with hemophilia is it does not have any symptoms until a wound occurs and the blood vessel is broken.
Von Willebrand Disease
This is a common blood disease that is inherited. It is similar to hemophilia in a way that it does not allow blood to clot easily when one is injured. People who have this disease are believed to have low proteins in the blood that helps in clotting. On the other hand, victims are prone to nose bleeding, bleeding from the gums, blood in the stools and excess bleeding when a wound occurs or after surgery.
This blood disease does not require treatment. However, if it should be treated, the doctor should include a range of various interventions depending on the severity of the disease. Medication can be through injection of clotting factor concentrates or medicine to increase the von Willebrand factor in the blood.
Anemia
Anemia is a situation where an individual lacks enough number of red blood cells than the average quantity in the body. The red blood cell can reduce in number be due to excessive blood loss, blood cells destruction or deficient production of red blood cells. Victims undergo symptoms like fatigue, impaired concentration, and heart enlargement.
Anemia can be diagnosed easily unlike the inherited blood diseases like hemophilia. A complete blood count test should be done to give information about the cells in the blood. Blood transfusion can be a strategy to treat anemia even though this comes with own adverse outcomes.
Leukemia
Leukemia involves the increase of immature white blood cells in the body, and it can also result from DNA mutation that leads to deactivation of tumor suppressor genes.
This blood disease is in different forms, which include acute leukemia that usually attacks children and requires immediate treatment, chronic leukaemia, and myeloid leukemia.
Treatment for leukemia can be typically achieved through bone marrow transplant or multi-drug chemotherapy.
