Bleeding Disorders (original) (raw)

Also called: Clotting disorders

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Summary

Normally, if you get hurt, your body forms a blood clot to stop the bleeding. For blood to clot, your body needs cells called platelets and proteins known as clotting factors. If you have a bleeding disorder, you either do not have enough platelets or clotting factors or they don't work the way they should.

Bleeding disorders can be the result of other diseases, such as severe liver disease or a lack of vitamin K. They can also be inherited. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. Bleeding disorders can also be a side effect of medicines such as blood thinners.

Various blood tests can check for a bleeding disorder. You will also have a physical exam and history. Treatments depend on the cause. They may include medicines and transfusions of blood, platelets, or clotting factor.

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• Bruising and Bleeding (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

• What Are Blood Clotting Disorders? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

• Blood Thinners: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

• Treatments for Blood Disorders (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

• About Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

• Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

• Rare Clotting Factor Deficiencies (World Federation of Hemophilia) Also in Spanish

• Blood clotting (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Blood Coagulation Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

• Blood (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

• Blood Transfusions (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

• About Bleeding Disorders in Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

• Bleeding Disorders (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

• Bleeding disorders (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Bleeding time (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Prothrombin time (PT) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish