Why does platelets count reduced

More severe cases may cause uncontrollable bleeding, which requires immediate medical attention. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience any signs of internal bleeding.

Rarely, this condition may lead to bleeding in your brain. If you have a low platelet count and experience headaches or any neurological problems, tell your doctor right away. Your bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside the bone.

The causes of low platelet production include:. Each platelet lives about 10 days in a healthy body. A low platelet count can also be a result of the body destroying too may platelets. This can be due to side effects of certain medications, include diuretics and anti-seizure medications. It can also be a symptom of:. During the exam, your doctor will check your body for any unusual bruising or evidence of petechiae, which is a sign of capillary bleeding that often accompanies a low platelet count.

Your doctor may also feel your abdomen to check for an enlarged spleen, which can cause a low platelet count. You may also be asked if you have any family history of bleeding disorders since these types of disorders can run in families. To diagnose this condition, your doctor needs to do a complete blood count test.

This test looks at the amount of blood cells in your blood. A typical platelet count will range between , and , platelets per mL blood. Your doctor may also wish to have your blood tested for platelet antibodies. These are proteins that destroy platelets. Platelet antibodies can be produced as a side effect to certain drugs, such as heparin, or for unknown reasons.

Your doctor may also order blood-clotting tests, which includes partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time.

These tests simply require a sample of your blood. Certain chemicals will be added to the sample to determine how long it takes your blood to clot. If your doctor suspects that your spleen is enlarged, they may order an ultrasound. This test will use sound waves to make a picture of your spleen. It can help your doctor determine if your spleen is the proper size.

ITP can also cause the gums or nose to bleed without reason and the presence of blood in the urine or stools. Platelets form a crucial part of the composition of blood. They are responsible for repairing tissue damage and play a vital role in the blood-clotting system, which helps to stop bleeding and heal wounds. Blood clotting is also known as hemostasis. Platelets are not invisible to the naked eye. The bone marrow produces them, and they travel in the blood for an average of 10 days before being destroyed.

When a blood vessel wall is damaged, it exposes a substance that activates platelets. Activated platelets trigger further events that bring in more platelets, and a blood clot starts to form.

This serves to plug any leak. Activated platelets also release sticky proteins to help form the clot. A protein known as fibrin forms a mesh of threads that holds the plug together. A platelet count measures the concentration of platelets in the blood.

A technician would carry this test out in a laboratory. When the number of platelets is low, this concentration reduces. Women normally experience a platelet count that varies slightly during the menstrual cycle and can fall near the end of pregnancy.

A doctor will ask some questions and perform a physical examination. The questions might cover symptoms, family history, and medications. The examination will assess for skin rashes and bruising. A laboratory platelet count will confirm the diagnosis, showing the exact concentration of platelets in the blood. The doctor is likely to perform other blood tests at the same time. These may include :. Some people may need to give a sample of their bone marrow.

This involves taking fluid from the marrow through a needle. This is called a bone marrow biopsy. For platelet counts low enough to cause physical effects, a doctor will address the cause directly. Certain conditions and medications can cause your body to rapidly destroy or use up platelets faster than they are produced, leading to a shortage of platelets in your bloodstream. Low platelet count caused by pregnancy is typically mild. It usually improves soon after childbirth.

Autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis can cause the body to attack and destroy its own platelets. This rare blood disorder causes small blood clots to form throughout your body. The increased clotting uses up platelets.

This condition affects your blood and blood vessels and results in the destruction of platelets and red blood cells, and can cause kidney failure.

Medications like heparin, quinine and anti-seizure drugs can reduce your platelet count. Sometimes drugs confuse the immune system and cause it to destroy platelets. The spleen is a purple, fist-shaped organ on the left side of your abdomen, just below your rib cage. It varies in size and shape, but is typically about 4 inches long.

The spleen acts as a filter for your blood and helps fight bacteria. It recycles old red blood cells, and stores platelets and white blood cells. When your spleen becomes enlarged due to advanced liver disease or blood cancers, it can hold on to an excessive number of platelets, decreasing the number in circulation throughout your body.

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