What Does It Mean When Your Factor 8 Is Low?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Hemophilia is a disease that prevents blood from clotting properly. A clot helps stop bleeding after a cut or injury. In factor VIII deficiency (hemophilia A), the body doesn’t make enough factor VIII (factor 8), one of the substances the body needs to form a clot.

What happens when Factor 8 low?

Under normal circumstances, certain proteins, including factor VIII, come together to form blood clots and quickly stop bleeding. If your factor VIII protein levels are low, you may have

hemophilia A

. Almost all people with hemophilia A are male.

How is factor VIII deficiency treated?


Desmopressin

raises the levels of factor VIII in the blood, and you take it through an IV or as a nasal spray. Drugs known as antifibrinolytics, such as aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid, can also help if you have a mild form of the disorder.

What diseases can be considered when factor VIII is decreasing?

  • Hemophilia A.
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
  • Acquired factor VIII inhibitor.
  • von Willebrand disease.
  • In some female carriers of hemophilia gene (mild)

Is Factor 8 a blood clotting disorder?


Hemophilia A

, also called factor VIII (8) deficiency or classic hemophilia, is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII (FVIII), a clotting protein. Although it is passed down from parents to children, about 1/3 of cases found have no previous family history.

What foods to avoid if you have hemophilia?

  • large glasses of juice.
  • soft drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened tea.
  • heavy gravies and sauces.
  • butter, shortening, or lard.
  • full-fat dairy products.
  • candy.
  • foods containing trans fats, including fried. foods and baked goods (pastries, pizza, pie, cookies, and crackers)

What organs are affected by hemophilia?

Hemophilia can result in: Bleeding within joints that can lead to chronic joint disease and pain. Bleeding in the head and sometimes in

the brain

which can cause long term problems, such as seizures and paralysis. Death can occur if the bleeding cannot be stopped or if it occurs in a vital organ such as the brain.

What can an abnormal factor 8 test result mean?

Factor VIII, with factor IX, is involved in the creation of a “net” that closes a torn blood vessel. An abnormal gene can make

some kids not have enough

factor VIII, causing the bleeding disorder known as hemophilia A. Not having enough factor IX is known as hemophilia B.

Can hemophilia be fatal?

Even though the disorder is rare, acquired hemophilia is a serious condition in which severe bleeding can occur in a significant number (70%) of cases and it is

fatal in about five to ten percent of the cases

[8,16].

What is Factor 9 in the blood?

Factor IX is a protein produced naturally in the body. It

helps the blood form clots to stop bleeding

. Injections of factor IX are used to treat hemophilia B, which is sometimes called Christmas disease.

What is the function of factor 8?

Factor VIII (FVIII) functions as

a co-factor in the blood coagulation cascade for the proteolytic activation of factor X by factor IXa

. Deficiency of FVIII causes hemophilia A, the most commonly inherited bleeding disorder.

What is Factor 8 called?

Factor VIII (

antihemophilic factor

) is the protein that is deficient or defective in patients with classical hemophilia and Von Willebrand syndrome. Factor VIII in plasma is thought to be associated in a complex with the highest molecular weight multimers of another glycoprotein, Von Willebrand protein.

What is a normal factor 7 level?

The reference range for factor VII is

65-140% of normal

.

Is von Willebrand serious?

Von Willebrand factor helps blood cells stick together (clot) when you bleed. If there’s not enough of it or it does not work properly, it takes longer for bleeding to stop. There’s currently no cure for VWD, but

it does not usually cause serious problems

and most people with it can live normal, active lives.

At what age is von Willebrand disease diagnosed?

76% of men with VWD had been diagnosed by

age 10

, but 50% of women with VWD were not diagnosed until after age 12.

Why is my factor 8 high?

Factor VIII levels can be elevated in a number of clinical conditions including carcinoma,

leukemia

, liver disease, renal disease, hemolytic anemia, diabetes mellitus, deep vein thrombosis, and myocardial infarction.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.