Major Signs of von Willebrand Disease (VWD)
Frequent or Hard-to-Stop Nosebleeds
People with VWD might have nosebleeds that:
- Start without injury (spontaneous)
- Occur often, usually five times or more in a year
- Last more than 10 minutes
- Need packing or cautery to stop the bleeding
Easy Bruising
People with VWD might experience easy bruising that:
- Occurs with very little or no trauma or injury
- Occurs often (one to four times per month)
- Is larger than the size of a quarter
- Is not flat and has a raised lump
Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Women with VWD might have heavy menstrual periods during which:
- Clots larger than the size of a quarter are passed
- More than one pad is soaked through every 2 hours
- A diagnosis of anemia (not having enough red blood cells) is made as a result of bleeding from heavy periods
Longer than Normal Bleeding After Injury, Surgery, Childbirth, or Dental Work
People with VWD might have longer than normal bleeding after injury, surgery, or childbirth, for example:
- After a cut to the skin, the bleeding lasts more than 5 minutes
- Heavy or longer bleeding occurs after surgery. Bleeding sometimes stops, but starts up again hours or days later.
- Heavy bleeding occurs during or after childbirth
People with VWD might have longer than normal bleeding during or after dental work, for example:
- Heavy bleeding occurs during or after dental surgery
- The surgery site oozes blood longer than 3 hours after the surgery
- The surgery site needs packing or cautery to stop the bleeding
The amount of bleeding depends on the type and severity of VWD. Other common bleeding events include:
- Blood in the stool (feces) from bleeding into the stomach or intestines
- Blood in the urine from bleeding into the kidneys or bladder
- Bleeding into joints or internal organs in severe cases (Type 3)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention