What Causes Low Platelets In Pregnancy
Outside of pregnancy, a normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000/µL .
Itâs normal for your platelet count to dip by a few thousand during pregnancy, due in part to hemodilution: the body makes more plasma during pregnancy, so the total number of platelets per volume of blood will be lower.
When the number dips below 100,000-150,000/µL, your doctor will want to keep a closer eye on you to reduce the risk of complications.
During pregnancy, about 10 percent of women have platelets counts below 150,000/µL. Of these, approximately:
- 75 percent are due to normal changes in pregnancy
- 21 percent are related to hypertensive diseases, such as preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome
- 4 percent are due to inherited or immunological conditions in which the immune system makes antibodies which attack platelet cells
Approximately 1 percent of patients have platelets counts of less than 100,000/µL, which might impact pregnancy management.
Platelets may be destroyed at a higher rate in pregnancy. As the spleen increases in size due to increased blood volume during pregnancy, it may destroy more platelets in the filtering process.
A severe lack of folic acid in your blood can cause thrombocytopenia, so it is important to take your prenatal vitamins. Certain bacterial and viral illnesses such as Epstein-Barr, HIV, and hepatitis B and C can also lower your platelet count.
How To Treat Thrombocytopenia
The treatment you will receive for thrombocytopenia ultimately depends on the severity and cause of the condition.
If there is no excessive bleeding and platelet counts are not dangerously lowor are still within a safe realmtreatment may consist of little more than monitoring the situation.
Your doctor may schedule some follow-up tests and ask you to pay attention to new bruises or markings. You will be asked to alert them if you notice changes prior to your follow up.
In more severe cases where bleeding is heavier and platelet counts are lower, thrombocytopenia is treated with medicine.
Lymphoma In The Bone Marrow
If lymphoma cells are in the bone marrow, they take up space that is normally used to make healthy blood cells. This can lower the number of platelets your bone marrow makes, so you develop thrombocytopenia.
Thrombocytopenia caused by lymphoma in the bone marrow often begins to improve once treatment for the lymphoma has started to work and the number of lymphoma cells decreases.
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What Are The Treatment Options
Treatments vary depending on the type of disease, and can include simple observation, use of steroids and other immune-modulating therapies, transfusions or coagulation factor support, growth factor supplementation, complex chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.
Anemia
For chronic anemia, the underlying disease is attended to, often improving the anemia. If that’s not possible and the patient’s anemia is causing symptoms, red blood cell transfusions may be necessary. Recombinant human erythropoietin can be given, weekly or biweekly, and usually indefinitely. The erythropoietins are also useful in other types of anemia in which there is an underproduction of red blood cells in the bone marrow, such as chemotherapy-induced anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and aplastic anemia. They are particularly useful in the anemia of kidney disease which is caused by an underproduction of erythropoietin in certain specialized cells of the kidney.
If nutritional deficiencies are the cause, oral iron tablets, vitamin B12 injections, or and oral folic acid may be prescribed.
Thrombocytopenia
Myeloproliferative diseases-polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis
Coagulation disorders
Leukemia Bruising On Legs
Bruising. Frequent and easy bruising is one common symptom of leukemia. However, the bruising that results from leukemia is somewhat different from regular bruising. Seek medical treatment if you have bruising that: Occurs in unusual places, like on your back, your hands, or your legs..Although bruises from leukaemia are very similar to ordinary bruises, there are a few things you can look out for to help spot the difference: They occur in unusual places In cases of leukaemia, quite often bruises will appear in places that you wouldnt normally expect, especially the back, legs,.Leukemia Bruising on Lower Legs. Leukemia is yet another common cause of sudden, unexplained bruising. This is a blood disorder that begins in the bone marrow when the.
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Evans Syndrome How Feeling Tired And Low Platelet Counts Led To Rare Autoimmune Disease Diagnosis
My name is Constance, and on the eve of my 44th birthday, I found myself sitting in the Emergency Room at my local hospital, waiting for a chest x-ray and CBC. Earlier that day, I had visited my internist as I was feeling extremely tired. She, in turn, recommended I go to the ER immediately to have tests done because it was Friday, and she didnt feel the test results could wait until Monday.
At the ER, my case was placed low on the list of priorities, as I seemed relatively healthy to the people at the admitting station in ER. I was walking, I didnt feel sick , and I wasnt bleeding from an open wound.
After a 4 hour wait, a very serious, young doctor came to speak with me. He told me that my platelet count was 4,000 , and my hemoglobin was 8 . Hearing this, I knew I was in deep trouble. After all, werent platelets needed by the body to clot blood? Did this mean I was in danger of bleeding to death? Yes. Why was my hemoglobin so low? Had I already started bleeding inside my body? He didnt know. Further tests would need to be run to determine the cause of my problem.
I was new to town and 1,600 miles away from family and friends. Alone, I received the news from the doctor. I didnt have cancer. It wasnt HIV. It wasnt anything I expected. It had a rare autoimmune illness called Evans Syndrome a condition where the bodys own immune system targets and destroys its own red blood cells and platelets.
And it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
What Causes Platelet Count To Drop
Plateletsplatelet countplateletsplateletscauseSome prescribed medications can also cause thrombocytopenia, including:
- amiodarone.
- seizure medications, such as carbamazepine.
- sulfonamides, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Foodsplateletrich foodsfoods richrich foodsVitamin C-rich foods
- citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits.
- kiwifruit.
- red and green bell peppers.
- strawberries.
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How Is A Low Platelet Count Treated
During chemotherapy. If you have a low platelet count during chemotherapy, your doctor may decide to adjust your treatment. You might get a lower dose of chemotherapy or wait longer between treatment cycles. Your doctor may prescribe a drug called oprelvekin . It helps prevent an extremely low platelet count.
Before surgery. If you are preparing for surgery and have a low platelet count, you may need to wait until your platelet counts are normal again to have the operation. This lowers the risk of heavy bleeding.
When platelet counts are very low, you may receive a transfusion. A transfusion of platelet cells into your blood can help prevent heavy or unexpected bleeding. However, this is a temporary treatment. The platelets from a transfusion only last about 3 days. If you have many transfusions, the platelets do not usually last as long each time.
How To Treat A Low Platelet Count
If you notice that youre developing bruises more easily and bleeding for a long period of time even after only getting a minor cut, talk to your doctor to check your platelet counts. A diagnosis of a low platelet count can be made using several tests: a complete blood count, which measures the levels of all blood cells/platelets in your blood a blood smear, which looks at the actual shape of your platelets or bone marrow tests and blood clotting tests to check for proper production and function of platelets. You might also need an ultrasound to check your spleen to see if its enlarged and possibly tapping platelets inside.
Sometimes thrombocytopenia is only mild and doesnt even need to be treated, since blood can still clot normally enough. Other times if it becomes severe, your doctor might need to prescribe medications to help ensure blood can clot or change the medications you currently take to stop their side effects. Medications and treatments used to stabilize severely low platelet counts can include platelet transfusions, splenectomy , corticosteroids or immunoglobulins, which block effects of the immune system.
Once a diagnosis has been made, you can use the recommendations below to help raise your blood platelet counts, manage symptoms and prevent complications from developing:
1. Improve Your Diet
2. Decrease or Eliminate Alcohol and Sugary Drinks
3. Reduce Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
4. Decrease or Stop Using Painkilling Drugs
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Treatment For Low Platelet Count
Low platelet count is not something that should be taken lightly or ignored, and if you find that you are suffering from this condition you need to make sure you get treatment right away.
First, the doctor will need to figure out exactly why you are suffering from low platelet counts.
If the cause for the low platelet count is an infection they will likely give you supplements to raise the number of platelets along with the antibiotics and other medication that you are taking.
There are other treatments as well, one is Corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids usually include Dexamethasone or prednisone and are typically prescribed to raise a patients platelet count.
The patient has to take it once a day and it usually comes in the form of a pill or tablet.
With this medication, an increase or at the very least, normalized, the platelet count is generally seen within 2 weeks of prescribing the medicine, especially with high-dose dexamethasone.
However, the dosage will likely be reduced gradually over the next 4 to 8 weeks.
In some cases, this treatment may have to be repeated, but in most cases, once the platelet count is normal, the patient just gets better eventually as energy levels come back to normal.
IVIG or Intravenous Immuno-globulin is another effective treatment, especially if the platelet count does not come up with prednisone or if the person is not able to tolerate steroids.
Surgery is one of the less taken options for a low platelet count.
When To Call The Doctor
- Bleeding that does not stop after applying pressure for 15 minutes.
- Bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, or black stools.
- Blood in the urine or dark colored urine.
- A change in your vision.
- Persistent headache, blurred vision, or a change in your level of consciousness such as decreased attention span, excessive sleepiness, confusion, or difficulty being awakened.
*If you have a major injury or start spontaneous bleeding, go immediately to the nearest emergency room.
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What Causes Low Platelet Count
Low platelet count can be caused by multiple factors, and in many cases, it is easily reversed.
Changing your medications or diet, or addressing the health condition behind the lowered count may be accomplished rather quickly.
For cases where platelet production is the focus of care, medicines can boost counts in a hurry as well. Therefore, mitigating the risk of thrombocytopenia is quite possible when the appropriate diagnosis is made and action taken immediately.
The main causes of thrombocytopenia are:
- Insufficient production of platelets by the bone marrow
- Rapid destruction or overuse of platelets
- Excess, or trapped, platelets in the spleen
Some other causes of low platelet counts include:
Do Low Platelets Make You Feel Tired
Low platelets make you feel tired because platelets are an important part of your blood which carry oxygen to all the important parts of your body, including your muscles and brain, and also take care of clotting and bleeding, and low numbers of these structures can even be life-threatening.
When your muscles and brain are low on oxygen due to not enough platelets in your blood, you can feel tired and lazy, and the condition can worsen further if you do not seek immediate treatment.
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Low Platelet Count Vs High Platelet Count
Here is how platelet counts are normally defined:
- normal platelet count: between 150,000450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood
- low platelet count: anything under 150,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood is considered low
- high platelet count: above 450,000 platelets per microliter is high at this point your doctor will likely look for an underlying condition
Having abnormally high platelet counts is referred to as thrombocytosis. An underlying condition of high platelets could be an infection, or it could be due to a blood and bone marrow disease, which makes the causes similar to those of low platelets. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, chest pains, and weakness. Both high and low platelet counts are treated similarly and depend on whats causing them in the first place. Usually changing someones medications, diet and nutrient intake can help both conditions, or making sure to identify any underlying infection or autoimmune disorder.
Chronic Mental Stress Affects Platelet Cd63 Expression
In our assessment the chronic mental stress condition solely had a significant effect on the increase of platelet marker CD63. This may be explained by the fact that our study design did not result in high enough chronic stress load . The amount of perceived stress seems to be a key player in the stress response system, the students in the current study rated relatively low amounts of perceived stress although a significant increase could be observed in the chronic mental stress condition compared to the condition without chronic mental stress. This increase was within the values reported for university students in challenging situation . Furthermore our participants were sleeping well and still performing within the recommended range of physical activity . In other studies chronic mental stress in the form of caregiving has been shown to be associated with increased CD62P reactivity . While this demonstrates that chronic mental stress due to an exam preparation certainly differs from that of caregiving or childhood trauma, it has nevertheless been shown previously to be associated with immunological and other biological changes .
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How Do You Define And Measure Fatigue
Historically, studies of physical illness have rarely addressed fatigue, possibly because it is a subjective complaint that is difficult to define and measure. This lack of a clear and widely accepted definition is illustrated by cancer-related fatigue, for which 24 different definitions have been put forward by experts . Fatigue would be typically defined as: extreme and persistent tiredness, weakness or exhaustion â mental, physical or both . This is usually experienced in the absence of any excessive expenditure of energy as a cause and is often associated with decreased functioning, e.g. difficulty completing tasks.
How Many Platelets Should I Have
The number of platelets in your blood is measured by a test called the full blood count .
Healthy adults usually have between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets in every microlitre of blood. This is sometimes written down as 150 to 450 x 10^9/L. This is a bit of a mouthful, so doctors and nurses usually just refer to the number .
- platelets collecting in an enlarged spleen
- platelets being destroyed by an antibody that attacks them .
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Symptoms Caused By Low Numbers Of Blood Cells
Many signs and symptoms of AML are the result of a shortage of normal blood cells, which happens when the leukemia cells crowd out the normal blood-making cells in the bone marrow. As a result, people don’t have enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets. These shortages show up on blood tests, and they can also cause symptoms.
Do Patients With Itp Suffer From Fatigue
In a series of focus groups, 14/23 ITP patients identified fatigue as an important issue . In a qualitative postal survey of patients with primary ITP, 790 patients returned a complete survey and 12·5% âalwaysâ or âoftenâ missed work or school due to fatigue. A further survey assessed 585 UK and 93 US patients with primary ITP using the Fatigue Impact Scale . The FIS is a multidimensional assessment of the impact of fatigue on cognitive, physical and psychosocial function that has been validated in a number of chronic disease states. Significant fatigue was found in 39% and 22% of patients, significantly more than the 2·5% expected in normal subjects. A smaller study reported a history of fatigue in 22% of children with ITP . In two controlled trials of romiplostim in ITP , the baseline assessment of HRQoL by ITP-PAQ found that of 44 items evaluated, fatigue was among the five worst scores . In the RAISE study of elthrombopag , the mean baseline FACIT-F score was lower in ITP patients than the general US population, suggesting a greater burden of fatigue . Taken together, these studies provide evidence that fatigue occurs in a significant proportion of patients with ITP.
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Symptoms Of Low Platelets
A low platelet count can cause a variety of symptoms. Call your doctor if you notice these issues or if they become more frequent or severe:
- Easy bruising, also called purpura
- Petechiae, tiny red spots on your skin
- Excess bleeding after even minor injuries
- Pain in your joints, particularly large joints like the knees and hips
It is important to call your healthcare provider at once if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Headache, confusion, or dizziness
- Blood when you cough or difficulty breathing
- Blood in your urine, vomit, or stool
- Vaginal bleeding after menopause or unusually heavy vaginal bleeding
What Is Thrombocytopenia
- Thrombocytopenia is lower than a normal number of platelets in the blood.
- Normal platelet counts range from 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter in the blood.
Platelets are one of the cellular components of the blood along with white and red blood cells. Platelets play an important role in clotting and bleeding. Platelets are made in the bone marrow similar to other cells in the blood. Platelets originate from megakaryocytes, which are large cells found in the bone marrow. The fragments of these megakaryocytes are platelets that are released into the bloodstream. The circulating platelets make up about two-thirds of the platelets that are released from the bone marrow. The other third is typically stored in the spleen.
Platelets, in general, have a brief lifespan in the blood , after which they are removed from circulation. The number of platelets in the blood is referred to as the platelet count and is normally between 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter of blood.
- Platelet counts less than 150,000 are termed thrombocytopenia.
- A platelet count greater than 400,000 is called thrombocytosis.
It is important to note that even though the platelet numbers are decreased in thrombocytopenia, their function often remains completely intact. Other disorders exist that can cause impaired platelet function despite normal platelet count.
- HIV.
- acetaminophen , and
- rifampin.
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