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Treatment for bleeding disorders will vary depending on the disorder and may include medicines and factor replacement therapy. Your treatment may be every day to prevent bleeding episodes, or as needed when you plan for surgery or have an accident. You may not need treatment if your bleeding disorder is mild.

It may be possible for your doctor to diagnose your bleeding disorder, its severity, and whether it is inherited or acquired based on your signs and symptoms, risk factors, medical and family history, a physical exam, and blood tests.

Signs, symptoms, and complications may differ depending on the type of bleeding disorder, its cause, and whether the disorder is mild or more serious. Signs and symptoms may be obvious soon after a child is born or not until adulthood. People who have a mild bleeding disorder may not have any signs or symptoms until they are injured or have a medical procedure.

It is not typical to screen for bleeding disorders, unless you are having certain types of major surgery or have known risk factors. Your doctor may do a blood test. If you are diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, your doctor may discuss your risk of passing your condition on to a future child.

You may have an increased risk for bleeding disorders because of your age, family history and genetics, other medical conditions and medicines, and your sex.

Your genes, or other causes such as medical conditions or medicines, can cause bleeding disorders. Sometimes a cause may not be known. Any problem that affects the function or number of clotting factors or platelets can lead to a bleeding disorder.

Bleeding disorders can be inherited, or they can be acquired, meaning you develop them during your lifetime. Acquired bleeding disorders are more common than inherited bleeding disorders.

Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and eating healthy can decrease the effects of chronic joint disease that results from repeated bleeding into joints, one of the painful and severe health problems of hemophilia.