Complications

Complications of hemophilia can include:

• Deep internal bleeding. Bleeding that occurs in deep muscle can cause the limbs to swell. The swelling can press on nerves and lead to numbness or pain. Depending on where the bleeding occurs, it could be life-threatening.
• Bleeding into the throat or neck. This can affect a person's ability to breathe.
• Damage to joints. Internal bleeding can put pressure on the joints, causing severe pain. Left untreated, frequent internal bleeding can cause arthritis or destruction of the joint.
• Infection. If the clotting factors used to treat hemophilia come from human blood, there's an increased risk of viral infections such as hepatitis C. Because of donor screening techniques, the risk is low.
• Adverse reaction to clotting factor treatment. In some people with severe hemophilia, the immune system has a negative reaction to the clotting factors used to treat bleeding. When this happens, the immune system develops proteins that keep the clotting factors from working, making treatment less effective.