Anatom3DVon Willebrand disease
Morbus von Willebrand · Von Willebrandova choroba
What it is
The commonest inherited bleeding disorder: too little or faulty von Willebrand factor, so platelets don't stick.
Symptoms & signs
- Frequent or long nosebleeds
- heavy periods
- bleeding gums
- easy bruising
- heavy bleeding after dental work, surgery or childbirth
🚩 Get help if…
- call 112 / 911 now Bleeding that will not stop with pressure
- call 112 / 911 now Head injury, or bad headache with vomiting
- see a doctor soon Periods soaking a pad every hour or lasting over 7 days
- see a doctor soon Nosebleeds lasting over 20 minutes
Where it strikes
Medical treatment
- Desmopressin (DDAVP) for type 1
- tranexamic acid
- factor concentrates containing VWF
- hormonal treatment for heavy periods
- avoid aspirin and NSAIDs
- recombinant VWF (vonicog alfa) as prophylaxis — FDA-approved 2022 for severe type 3
Natural & lifestyle
- Iron for heavy periods
- a medical alert card
- plan surgery and childbirth with a haemophilia centre
Emerging & experimental
- Bispecific antibodies like emicizumab for type 3
- gene therapy research
Alternative, off-label & anecdotal
Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.
- Vitamin K — helps other clotting factors, not von Willebrand factor anecdotal / traditional
- Yunnan Baiyao — a Chinese styptic powder; untested in VWD anecdotal / traditional
- Fish oil, ginkgo and garlic supplements — they add to bleeding; avoid anecdotal / traditional
ICD codes
- ICD-10 D68.0
- ICD-11 3B12 Von Willebrand disease