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How is von Willebrand disease diagnosed?
Why do people with von Willebrand disease have the disease from birth?
What is von Willebrand disease?
Oct 26, 2021 · Mild forms of von Willebrand disease can be difficult to diagnose because bleeding is common, and, for most people, doesn't indicate a disease. However, if your doctor suspects you have a bleeding disorder, he or she might refer you to a blood disorders specialist (hematologist).
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Many people with von Willebrand disease don't know it because the signs are mild or absent. The most common sign of the condition is abnormal bleeding.
There are three main types of the disease. The amount of bleeding varies from one person to another, depending on the type and severity of the disease.
If you have von Willebrand disease, you might have:
•Excessive bleeding from an injury or after surgery or dental work
•Frequent nosebleeds that don't stop within 10 minutes
•Heavy or long menstrual bleeding
Contact your doctor if you have bleeding that lasts a long time or is hard to stop.
Request an appointment
The usual cause of von Willebrand disease is an inherited abnormal gene that controls von Willebrand factor — a protein that plays a key role in blood clotting.
When you have low levels of this protein or it doesn't work as it should, small blood cells called platelets cannot stick together properly nor attach themselves normally to the blood vessel walls when an injury has occurred. This interferes with the clotting process and can sometimes cause uncontrolled bleeding.
Many people with von Willebrand disease also have low levels of factor VIII, another protein that helps in clotting.
Factor VIII is involved in another inherited clotting disorder called hemophilia. But unlike hemophilia, which mainly affects males, von Willebrand disease affects males and females and is usually milder.
The main risk factor for von Willebrand disease is having a family history of it. Parents pass the gene for the disease to their children. Rarely, the disease skips generations.
The disease is usually an "autosomal dominant inherited" disorder, which means you need a mutated gene from only one parent to get the disease. If you have the gene for von Willebrand disease, you have a 50% chance of transmitting this gene to your children.
Rarely, von Willebrand disease can cause uncontrollable bleeding, which can be life-threatening. Other complications of von Willebrand disease can include:
•Anemia. Heavy menstrual bleeding can cause iron deficiency anemia.
If you plan to have children and have a family history of von Willebrand disease, consider genetic counseling. If you carry the gene for von Willebrand disease, you can pass it on to your offspring, even if you don't have symptoms.
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By Mayo Clinic Staff
Oct 26, 2021
1.Von Willebrand disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/vwd/facts.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2021.
2.AskMayoExpert. Von Willebrand disease. Mayo Clinic; 2021.
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Jun 22, 2022 · What causes von Willebrand disease? von Willebrand disease is a genetic disorder that happens when certain genes mutate, or change. In von Willebrand disease, genetic mutations affect your body’s ability to make normal von Willebrand factor. Factors are proteins that help your blood to clot.
May 29, 2023 · What Causes It? What Are the Symptoms? How Is It Diagnosed? 5 min read. Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a disorder that makes it hard for your blood to clot. This happens because you don’t...
This report provides the complete and authoritative presentation on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of the common, inherited bleeding disorder known as von Willebrand Disease. This is the first-ever evidence-based presentation by NHLBI on this topic, and the first ever prepared in the United States. Deals with initial screening, diagnosis ...
Dec 1, 2009 · Von Willebrand disease (VWD) encompasses a group of inherited bleeding disorders related to qualitative or quantitative defects of von Willebrand factor (VWF), which is essential in hemostasis.
May 6, 2024 · Causes. Diagnosis. Treatment. YakobchukOlena / Getty Images. Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. The condition gets its name after Erik von...
