Von Willebrand's disease is an inherited bleeding disorder that
prevents blood from clotting properly. In this disease, a protein in the body's
blood system (von Willebrand factor) is missing or does not work well, and the
blood cells (platelets) cannot stick together normally to form clots at the
site of bleeding.
Symptoms of von Willebrand's disease may
include excessive bleeding after injury, frequent nosebleeds, heavy menstrual
flow, easy bruising, blood in the urine or stool, and bleeding from the gums.
Equal numbers of men and women have this disease.
Von Willebrand's
disease can be treated with home treatment, like not taking ASA, and with
medicine that increases the amount of von Willebrand clotting factor in the
blood. Treatment also focuses on preventing and stopping bleeding.