What steps can a person with hemophilia take to help stay healthy?
People with hemophilia may follow basic approaches to maintaining good health. These include preventive care, physical therapy and exercise, and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Talk to your doctor about healthy lifestyle choices that may be right for you.13 The use of clotting factor to control and prevent bleeding may be especially important for some patients to prevent bleeding into joints—a common problem in patients with hemophilia.1,6 Physical therapy and exercise can help improve and/or maintain muscle strength and flexibility. It is especially important that muscles surrounding joints receive appropriate physical therapy and exercise as part of recovery from joint bleeding. Developing strong muscles can help protect and cushion the joints, which may result in fewer bleeds into the joint. An exercise program that takes safety precautions into account can be developed with a physical therapist.13,14 Appropriate nutrition and stress management are important components of a healthy
