Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are blood cells. They form in your bone marrow, a sponge-like tissue in your bones. Platelets play a major role in blood clotting. Normally, when one of your blood vessels is injured, you start to bleed. Your platelets will clot (clump together) to plug the hole in the blood vessel and stop the bleeding. You can have different problems with your platelets:

•             If your blood has a low number of platelets, it is called thrombocytopenia. This can put you at risk for mild to serious bleeding. The bleeding could be external or internal. There can be various causes. If the problem is mild, you may not need treatment. For more serious cases, you may need medicines or blood or platelet transfusions.

•             If your blood has too many platelets, you may have a higher risk of blood clots.

•             When the cause is unknown, this is called thrombocythemia. It is rare. You may not need treatment if there are no signs or symptoms. In other cases, people who have it may need treatment with medicines or procedures.

•             If another disease or condition is causing the high platelet count, it is thrombocytosis. The treatment and outlook for thrombocytosis depends on what is causing it.

•             Another possible problem is that your platelets do not work as they should. For example, in von Willebrand Disease, your platelets cannot stick together or cannot attach to blood vessel walls. This can cause excessive bleeding. There are different types of in von Willebrand Disease; treatment depends on which type you have.

 

 

Thrombocytopenia is when you don't have enough platelets, cells in your blood that stick together to help it clot. Sometimes, the condition doesn’t cause any problems at all. But if you have symptoms like too much bleeding, treatment can help.

 

Thrombocytopenia Causes

Your bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside your bones, makes platelets. You can get thrombocytopenia if your body doesn't make enough of them or if it destroys them faster than you can replace them.

 

Your body might not make enough platelets if you:

 

Have a blood disorder that affects your bone marrow, called aplastic anemia

Have cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma, which damages your bone marrow

Have a platelet-lowering disease like Wiskott-Aldrich or May-Hegglin syndromes

Have a virus such as chickenpox, mumps, rubella, HIV, or Epstein-Barr

Drink a lot of alcohol over a long time

Have chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, which destroys stem cells that form platelets. If you've had contact with chemicals like pesticides and arsenic, your body might slow the process of making platelets.

Your body can destroy too many platelets because of:

 

Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, immune thrombocytopenia, or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), in which your body attacks healthy cells

Bacteria in your blood, also known as bacteremia

Medicines, like antibiotics that contain sulfa, heparin to prevent blood clots, and anti-seizure drugs such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and vancomycin (Vancocin)

Rare diseases that make blood clots form, such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare disorder that also destroys red blood cells and causes kidney problems

Viruses like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis C, and HIV

Thrombocytopenia Symptoms

Sometimes, you don't have any symptoms from thrombocytopenia. When you do, the main problem is bruising and bleeding in your skin that looks like tiny red or purple spots, called petechiae.

 

You can bleed outside or inside your body. Sometimes, it can be heavy or hard to stop.

 

You might also have:

 

Bleeding from your gums or nose

Blood in your urine or poop

Heavy menstrual periods

Headaches

Fatigue

Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)

A swollen spleen

These symptoms might not start until your platelet count is very low. Tell your doctor about them right away.

 

Thrombocytopenia Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and symptoms. They’ll look for bruises, petechiae, and other signs of low platelets. They’ll also check for signs of infection, like a fever or rash.

 

You might have a blood test that measures how many platelets you have. Most people have 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. You can have bleeding problems if your count drops below 50,000.

 

 

Thrombocytopenia Complications

When your platelet count falls below 50,000, you might have especially heavy bleeding after an injury. Below 30,000, even a minor injury may cause a lot of bleeding.

 

If your platelet count falls below 10,000, you can have dangerous internal bleeding without an injury. Rarely, you may also have life-threatening bleeding in your brain.

 

Thrombocytopenia Treatment

If your platelet count isn't too low, you might not need treatment.

 

Sometimes, your platelet count will go up when you avoid the cause of the problem. For instance, if a certain medicine is behind your thrombocytopenia, your doctor will probably have you stop taking that drug.

 

Regards,

John kimberly

Editorial Assistant

Journal of Phlebology and Lymphology