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Thrombocytopenia is the medical term for low claret platelets. Platelets are a type of jail cell in your bloodstream that help form blood clots. When you go a cut or injury to a blood vessel, blood clots grade to plug the hole and cease the haemorrhage. If you have depression platelets, you may not be able to form clots properly. That can put y'all at risk for severe haemorrhage.
Normal platelet counts for adults are between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets per microliter (uL) of blood. Thrombocytopenia is a platelet count below 150,000. This status tin can be more than or less severe. The fewer platelets you have, the more serious your symptoms may be. Near people have a steady platelet count over time, so big changes in your platelet count tin also exist cause for business.
If y'all've been diagnosed with thrombocytopenia or yous have a depression platelet count on your blood tests, work with your doctor to make a handling programme. The adept news is that there are constructive treatments that can help manage symptoms and preclude complications.
Platelets are an important part of the blood clotting procedure in your body. When platelet counts are too depression, y'all have an increased hazard of bleeding. Symptoms of thrombocytopenia include:
- Bleeding from your gums after brushing your teeth
- Nosebleeds that are hard to finish
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Blood in your stool (poop)
- Small red spots on your skin (called petechiae)
If you have bleeding that won't stop, get emergency medical assistance right away.
The risk for severe bleeding depends on how low your platelet count is. If you have mild thrombocytopenia, your take chances for life-threatening haemorrhage is not loftier. However, if you have a moderately low platelet count (less than 75,000/uL), y'all may be at adventure of serious bleeding from traumatic injuries such as car accidents. At this level, information technology may also be dangerous to have surgery.
If your platelet count is severely low (less than 30,000/uL), you may be at adventure for severe spontaneous bleeding (bleeding that happens for no apparent reason). Trauma, surgery or other blood disorders tin can likewise heighten your chance for severe bleeding. Work with your dr. to understand what your platelet count means for you.
What Causes Thrombocytopenia?
The lifespan of platelets is 7 to 10 days, so your torso is constantly making, using and destroying platelets. Thrombocytopenia can happen due to three unlike problems in this process — if your torso doesn't make plenty new platelets, destroys more platelets than normal, or traps also many platelets in your spleen instead of releasing them into your claret.
Decreased Platelet Production
One blazon of thrombocytopenia happens when your body doesn't make enough new platelets. Your trunk makes platelets in your bone marrow. Then mutual causes of decreased platelet production include bone marrow cancer and problems with your bone marrow from chemotherapy. Other causes include:
- Infections, such as hepatitis C, HIV, mumps and rubella
- Chronic heavy drinking
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
Increased Platelet Devastation
Another type of thrombocytopenia happens when your trunk destroys too many platelets. This type is sometimes acquired by problems with the immune system, similar autoimmune disorders or immune reactions to blood transfusions. One specific type is called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). This happens when your immune arrangement attacks your platelets.
Other causes include:
- Infections
- Side effects of certain medicines, like certain blood thinners and antibiotics
- Side effects of a mechanical eye valve
- Sepsis (a severe complication from an infection)
- Preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication)
Increased Platelet Sequestration
The 3rd type of thrombocytopenia happens when your body sequesters (traps) too many platelets inside the spleen. It'due south normal for your trunk to capture and hold some platelets in the spleen. But if there's increased platelet sequestration, that means as well many platelets are trapped in the spleen instead of floating around in the bloodstream.
Causes of this type include:
- Chronic heavy drinking
- Liver disease
- Enlarged spleen
- Pregnancy
It can also be caused by excessive haemorrhage, blood clots or high claret pressure in the lung or too much intravenous fluid.
Am I at Risk for Thrombocytopenia?
You may exist at higher gamble for thrombocytopenia if you:
- Take a family history of thrombocytopenia
- Take had cancer, liver disease or an autoimmune illness
- Take sure medicines, like heparin or certain antibiotics
- Are pregnant, especially if you lot have preeclampsia during pregnancy
- Potable heavily over a long period of time
Other hazard factors include recent heart valve replacement, recent claret transfusion and certain infections. If yous have a low platelet count or unexplained haemorrhage, your doc will ask to about these risk factors to assist diagnose thrombocytopenia.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Thrombocytopenia?
To find out if you accept thrombocytopenia, your physician will exercise a blood examination chosen a complete blood count. This test checks the levels of all the different types of cells in your blood, including platelets. If your platelet count is beneath 150,000/uL, you accept thrombocytopenia. Merely your dr. may do additional tests or ask you lot some questions to find out what type of thrombocytopenia you have and what'due south causing it.
If you get an annual physical, your md may diagnose thrombocytopenia based on routine claret work. In this case, your physician will exercise a consummate medical history and physical examination to cheque for underlying health conditions that tin can lead to thrombocytopenia. You lot may also take blood tests equally part of your medical care when you're ill or injured — and doctors may observe out y'all have thrombocytopenia that way.
What Are the Treatments for Thrombocytopenia?
Your handling volition depend on the cause of your thrombocytopenia. For example:
- If your torso isn't making enough new platelets, you may need blood or platelet transfusions.
- If your thrombocytopenia is a side consequence of a medicine or transfusion, you may need to finish taking that medicine or transfusion.
- If you lot have an autoimmune disorder or an infection, your doctor may prescribe medicine to care for that condition.
- If you lot have cancer, you may need chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
- If your torso is trapping too many platelets in the spleen, you may need surgery to remove your spleen.
- If heavy drinking or another beliefs is causing your thrombocytopenia, your dr. tin help you make a plan to stop drinking or make other lifestyle changes.
Overall, in that location are as many handling options equally there are causes of thrombocytopenia. Then information technology's of import to work with your dr. to effigy out the cause and make a handling plan that'south right for you.
Your Adjacent Steps to Stay Healthy If You Have Thrombocytopenia
If yous have thrombocytopenia, you tin can take steps at home to stay good for you. The most important step is to go along up with your doctor appointments and blood work. Ask your doctor how often yous demand claret tests and make sure to get to all your follow-up appointments.
If you accept thrombocytopenia from an enlarged spleen, your dr. may recommend lifestyle changes to avert injuries. This is because injuries can cause an enlarged spleen to rupture. You may need to switch from contact sports to non-contact sports.
If you potable heavily or you have liver affliction, you'll need to stop drinking. Alcohol utilize disorder is a common trouble, and there are resources available to aid you. Talk with your doc about ways to cutting dorsum on drinking.
Depending on the crusade of your thrombocytopenia, there may be other steps you can take, like avoiding certain over-the-counter medicines. Recall, the most important stride is to work with your doctor to find the cause and become the treatment you lot need.
Resources Links:
- "Thrombocytopenia" via Goldman-Cecil Medicine
- "Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)" via Mayo Clinic
- "Thrombocytopenia" via MedlinePlus
- "Thrombocytopenia" via National Heart, Lung, and Claret Institute.
- "The Nascence and Death of Platelets in Health and Disease" via Physiology
Source: https://www.symptomfind.com/health-conditions/thrombocytopenia-low-platelets-condition?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740013%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex