World Hemophilia Day is celebrated on April 17 every year to bring the global community with bleeding disorders together. Would you like to know what hemophilia is, and want to be more aware of it, then keep reading!
A rare genetic disorder; Hemophilia, in which blood clotting is not due to a usual lack of clotting factor but leads to excessive bleeding because of an injury or damage.
Hemophilia’s symptoms differ from person to person, depending upon the level of clotting factor. If a person bleeds only after an accident or trauma, the symptoms are mild, but the deficiency can be severe if the bleeding is spontaneous.
The cases of spontaneous bleeding are as follows;
- Unexplained or excessive bleeding after surgery or dental operation.
- Nosebleeds with unknown cause.
- Pain or swelling in joints.
- Blood in urine or stool.
Along with it, there can be brain bleeding which is the most critical complication of Hemophilia. The signs and symptoms of it are;
- Double vision
- Repeated vomiting
- Prolonged headache
- Sudden weakness or clumsiness
Sometimes we ignore the symptoms because we are not aware of the disease and its consequences. That’s why World Hemophilia Day was introduced to make people more conscious about the disorder, and they can take timely actions if they know about the same.
This year’s theme, ‘sustaining care in a new world,’ is retrieved in the context of COVID-19. Coronavirus has turned our lives upside down over the last year, and it had a significant impact on people with a bleeding disorder. That’s why the theme and the day have become more vital.
There are various programs arranged on this day, and before that. These are attended by doctors, researchers, and people who share their knowledge and experience from which you can learn and inform your friends and family about it.
Other than it, you can take steps on your account to acknowledge more public about Hemophilia. World Federation of Hemophilia has listed a few ways with which you can do so.
- You can write on its website about how you adapted to your life changes and about your experience.
- You can participate in their campaign ‘World Hemophilia Day Light It Up Red! while maintaining social distancing.
- You can also support the community for long-term sustainability by making donations.
- You can tell the world about it by posting on social media with various hashtags like #WorldHemophiliaDay, #WHD2020, and #LightItUpRed.
- You can contact with National Member Organization, which is the key partner of the federation in a country, to get more information on how you can support it.
Let us all share more about Hemophilia on April 17 and help the world sustain care in a new world together.
