In recent years may have benefited from treatment with factor VIII for haemophilia you suffer, given as an injection every two days or three times a week. This method of administration is known as prophylaxis and may help prevent bleeding before their onset.

Therapy with factor VIII is a good way to treat bleeding. However, once the bleeding occurs in a joint, others may occur during recovery. Joint can become a “target” and can occur repeated bleeding, leading to long term deterioration.

Therefore, experts recommend to people with haemophilia celiac disease to receive prophylactic treatment for preventing bleeding. According to experts, prophylaxis stops bleeding and allows you to practice sports.

Forms of prophylaxis. Prophylactic treatment of hemophilia A is classified during and after time after administration. Depending on duration, short and long prophylaxis exist, and depending on time of administration, primary and secondary.

Establishment of primary prevention is 1 to 2 years, before the first incident of child bleeding. Treatment is followed up to adolescence, maybe even more. Primary prevention is effective to protect the joints of children from a severe form of disease.

Secondary prophylaxis is indicated after recurrent bleeding episodes. Secondary prophylaxis can be recommended for children who have not completed primary prevention in childhood.

Even if the disease is not disturbing you, is a must to continue the treatment. As you age may appear less bleeding and you might be tempted to discontinue. Studies in patients with haemophilia A have indicated that may occur small bleeding in joints that go unnoticed and, therefore, not treated. Long term, these small repeated bleeding may lead to joint damage. A clinical study in infants showed that regular treatment is very effective in preventing bleeding and can help protect joints from deterioration caused by bleeding that go unnoticed.

Haemophilia is rare and, like other rare diseases that are also called orphan diseases, treatment is very demanding and very expensive. Prophylactic treatment reduces long-term secondary costs incurred by health insurance schemes, cost of treatment of viral infections (HIV / AIDS, chronic hepatitis C, chronic hepatitis B) and orthopedic complications costs (joint prostheses).

Compliance with treatment program is essential! When you follow a prophylactic treatment with factor VIII is important to continue to treat you like your doctor recommended (eg daily or three times a week). Only if you’ll follow that treatment program you can get maximum benefits offered.

In cases of severe haemophilia, the biggest benefit of prophylaxis is to decrease the probability of damaging your joints long term. It is also less likely to bleed and, consequently, less likely to get to hospital with serious bleeding.