How Does Blood Clot?
Blood clotting is also called coagulation. Hemostasis is a word for the process where a blood clot forms.
Blood clots form to stop excess blood leaking from your body after you break or cut the surface of your skin. If a blood vessel (a capillary, vein or artery) is damaged (internally or by external injury like a cut) bleeding occurs until a clot forms. Once the site of injury has healed, the blood clot will naturally dissolve. If no blood clot forms it is called a hemorrhage. A hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding and can be highly dangerous. Hemophiliacs are people with a blood disorder where there blood does not clot. A small injury can lead to uncontrolled bleeding. In the 1960s, before treatment became available, the life expectancy of someone with hemophilia was just 11 years. Today fortunately, with regular infusions of clotting medications, most can expect to live a relatively normal life expectancy.
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