How can I find out whether my menorrhagia is caused by an inherited bleeding disorder?
The only way to tell whether you have von Willebrand Disease or another blood disorder that affects your platelets or clotting factors, is to have your blood specifically tested for these conditions. A relatively simple and inexpensive screening test for von Willebrand Disease and blood platelet disorders, known as the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100 test, is now available.. If this is normal, it is unlikely that you have von Willebrand Disease or a significant problem with your blood platelets. Other tests will be necessary to tell whether you have a problem with your blood clotting factors. Ask your doctor to have these tests done for you. The Florida Hospital Center for Hemostasis and Thrombosis would be happy to advise your doctor on the appropriate tests to order in case he is not familiar with them. Should I be tested? Certainly. In fact, as long ago as 1997, the National Hemophilia Foundation said: “Von Willebrand Disease and other inherited bleeding disorders should be con
