posted on May, 2 2006 @ 01:12 PM
From what I've found, there are 5 different classes of Van Willebrand disease that denote the severity of the disease.
As far as the cuts in the forest or piercing, unless you have a severe case or are taking aspirin, plavix or some other anti-coagulation agent, you
should be fine.
If you have type 1, you won't notice any effects unless you have major surgery or have a severe injury. A scrape or piercing will not cause any
noticeable effect. One of the most common ways to diagnose this type is through a tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils) or having a tooth pulled.
If you have type 2A, you will form a clot, but it will be weaker than a typical clot. This, unlike type 1, isn't because of a lack of Von Willebrand
Factor in the bloodstream, but rather it is deficient in its ability to form bonds in the platelets. As such, you should be able to develop a clot,
but this clot can be broken down easily and could take far longer to cause a cut to stop bleeding. From what I understand, again, a scratch while
going through the forest or a piercing will not be life threatening. This is far less common than type 1, only existing in about 10-15% of
patients.
Type 2B has similar symptoms of Type 2A, but the cause is different. This bleeding issue lies in that the clot does not form on the vessel's wall,
but instead the bloodstream. As the clot forms, the body purges it from the blood stream causing a platelet shortage. The clot is just as strong as a
normal clot, but doesn't form where it's needed, causing the wound to bleed longer than normal.
Type 3 is the rarest form, only happening in 1 out of 500,000 cases of Von Willebrand Disease. If this is the type you have, you might have to be
concerned about piercings and scratches. However, since you stated no one in your family has VWD, it is unlikely (if not impossible) for you to have
this type, as both parents have to pass the VWD gene to you.
As for the bruising, that is normal for VWD.