Von Willebrand disease
Von Willebrand's disease (VWD) is an inherited condition that interferes with normal blood clotting causing excessive bleeding.
- Symptoms may include nose bleeds, heavy menstruation and bleeding gums.
- The condition is usually mild requiring no treatment.
What it is
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a hereditary condition that involves extended or excessive bleeding. It is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder affecting about one in 1000 people. The disease is caused by a deficiency of the protein von Willebrand factor, which is the part of the blood that helps the blood stick together so it forms a clot. People with the disease take longer to form clots and to stop bleeding when cut.
The most common cause of VWD is a family history of a bleeding disorder. However, because it's possible for genes to mutate, a person may have VWD even without a family history of the disease. The condition affects both men and women equally and most cases are mild. VWD only causes problems when there's already a reason behind excessive bleeding such as injury, surgery or tooth extraction.
There are various forms of VWD:
Type 1: there is less von Willebrand factor in the blood than normal.
Type 2: the body produces abnormal von Willebrand factor.
Type 3: there is no measurable von Willebrand factor.
A third of people experience no signs of the condition and may not even realise they have it, but symptoms that do appear include:
- Heavy or prolonged periods
- Bleeding in the mouth
- Bruising easily.
How to treat it
Although there is no cure for the disease and treatment is usually not needed, in some cases, such as the rare and severe Type 3 VMD, medication may be given to increase levels of von Willebrand factor so the tendency towards bleeding is reduced.
Those with VWD who are booked for surgery, including dental procedures, should make it known they have the condition as it can increase the likelihood of post-surgical bleeding.