Bleeding Disorders

A bleeding disorder exists when it is hard for a person to stop bleeding. When a person bleeds, the blood clots, stopping the bleeding. The clotting process, also called coagulation, changes blood from a liquid to a solid state. It takes both blood cells (called platelets) and proteins (called clotting factors) for blood to clot properly. When a person has a bleeding disorder, the blood platelets are not working like they should, or there are not enough platelets or clotting factors in the blood. This causes a person to bleed for longer periods of time than normal. Bleeding disorders tend to run in families and can be hard to detect in women. These disorders can be controlled, so a person can have a healthy and full life.