{"id":2365,"date":"2025-11-18T10:07:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T06:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/what-is-von-willebrand-disease\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T18:55:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T15:25:01","slug":"what-is-von-willebrand-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/what-is-von-willebrand-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"What is von Willebrand disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is von Willebrand disease?<\/h2>\n\n

Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder. In order for blood to clot normally, several different proteins are needed in the blood. One of the most important of these proteins is von Willebrand factor. <\/p>\n\n

In people with this disease, there is low levels of von Willebrand factor in the blood, or the factor does not work properly. Von Willebrand factor helps factor VIII and platelets to \u201cstick together\u201d at the site of injury and form a blood clot. If this factor is low or not working properly, the clot does not form properly and bleeding will last longer. <\/p>\n\n

The disease is named after the Finnish physician Erik von Willebrand, who first described it.<\/p>\n\n

Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, estimated to affect about 1 percent of the population. It occurs equally in men and women, but women often have more pronounced symptoms due to menstruation and menstrual bleeding. <\/p>\n\n

Symptoms of von Willebrand disease<\/h2>\n\n

Symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary greatly from person to person. Important signs include:\u2022 Frequent nosebleeds (more than 5 times a year) lasting more than 10 minutes\u2022 Prolonged bleeding from small cuts and wounds (more than 10 minutes)\u2022 Easy bruising, especially large, prominent bruises\u2022 Being told you are \u201canemic\u201d or have been treated for anemia many times\u2022 Heavy bleeding after any surgery or dental procedures\u2022 Having one of these symptoms in several family members\u2022 Having a relative diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, such as von Willebrand\u2019s disease or hemophilia <\/p>\n\n

Specific symptoms in women and girls<\/h2>\n\n

In women and girls, important symptoms include:\u2022 Heavy, prolonged menstrual periods (needing to change a pad or tampon every hour, or bleeding lasting more than 7 days)\u2022 Heavy bleeding after childbirth or after a miscarriage<\/p>\n\n

If you or a member of your family has these symptoms, it is necessary to seek professional examination and advice.<\/p>\n\n

Types of von Willebrand disease<\/h2>\n\n

Classically, the disease is divided into three main types, and there is also an “acquired” type:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Type 1\u2022 The most common type of the disease; about 60 to 80 percent of cases\u2022 In this type, the amount of von Willebrand factor in the blood is reduced, but not completely eliminated.\u2022 The severity of symptoms is usually mild.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Type 2\u2022 Makes up about 15 to 30 percent of patients.\u2022 Factor levels may be normal or near normal in the blood, but von Willebrand factor is not working properly.\u2022 Type 2 itself has several subtypes, each showing a specific pattern of factor dysfunction.\u2022 Symptoms are usually mild to moderate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Type III\u2022 A rare but severe form of the disease (about 5 to 10 percent of cases).\u2022 In this type, the level of von Willebrand factor in the blood is very low or almost zero.\u2022 Factor VIII levels may also be reduced, and bleeding may occur spontaneously, severely, and into joints and muscles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Acquired type\u2022 In this type, a person is not born with von Willebrand disease; rather, they develop a deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand factor later due to other diseases (such as some autoimmune, heart, or cancer diseases) or the use of certain medications.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    Diagnosis of von Willebrand disease<\/h2>\n\n

    \u0632 <\/p>\n\n

    In some people, especially women, von Willebrand factor levels may rise and fall under different conditions (stress, physical activity, pregnancy, taking birth control pills, etc.); for this reason, tests may need to be repeated at different times.<\/p>\n\n

    The best place to diagnose and follow up on this disease is specialized centers for bleeding disorders and comprehensive hemophilia treatment centers, which provide the opportunity for specialized tests and consultation with experienced teams.<\/p>\n\n

    Treatment of von Willebrand disease<\/h2>\n\n

    The type of treatment depends on the type of disease and the severity of symptoms. The main methods are:\u2022 Von Willebrand factor release-stimulating drugs (such as desmopressin) in some mild and moderate types, especially in the type of single injection of concentrate containing von Willebrand factor and factor VIII in severe cases, in surgeries, serious bleeding or in types that do not respond to desmopressin\u2022 Use of anti-clot dissolving drugs (antifibrinolytics) to reduce bleeding, especially in oral and menstrual bleeding\u2022 In women, use of hormonal treatments (such as some pills and IUDs containing hormones) to control heavy menstruation\u2022 Careful planning of surgical and dental procedures in coordination with a specialized center <\/p>\n\n

    Some patients with mild cases may not require treatment most of the time and may only receive treatment in special circumstances (surgery, severe trauma, childbirth, etc.).<\/p>\n\n

    Living with von Willebrand disease<\/h2>\n\n

    Many affected individuals, with proper awareness and care, can lead active and normal lives. Important points:\u2022 Familiarize the patient and family with the danger signs and when to see a doctor\u2022 Inform the dentist and other doctors of the diagnosis of the disease before any treatment\u2022 In women and girls, pay close attention to heavy menstruation and plan for pregnancy and childbirth in collaboration with a hematologist and gynecologist\u2022 Conduct genetic counseling in families with several affected individuals\u2022 Regular follow-up at a specialized center for bleeding disorders to adjust the type and amount of treatment <\/p>\n\n

    If you or a family member is experiencing prolonged bleeding, frequent bruising, frequent nosebleeds, or very heavy periods, consulting a specialist center can help with early diagnosis and prevention of complications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What is von Willebrand disease? Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder. In order for blood to clot normally, several different proteins are needed in the blood. One of the most important of these proteins is von Willebrand factor. In people with this disease, there is low levels of von Willebrand factor in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diseases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2365"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2366,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2365\/revisions\/2366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ichcc.clinic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}