What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
You may want to ask your healthcare provider:
- Why did I get thrombocytopenia?
- What is the best treatment for me?
- Are there any treatment risks or side effects?
- What changes can I make to minimize bleeding and bruising?
- Should I watch for signs of complications?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
If you have conditions that increase your risk for thrombocytopenia, its important to take precautions to protect your health. A low platelet count can put you at risk for excessive bleeding and bruising. Your healthcare provider can explain whats causing the low platelet count and discuss treatment options. If your condition is severe, you may need to avoid activities that increase your risk of injury and bleeding.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/23/2020.
References
Recommended Reading: What Is Adrenal Fatigue Caused By
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.
Also Check: Amino Acids For Adrenal Fatigue
Early Warning Signs Of Leukemia
Leukemia symptoms often vary depending on the type of leukemia diagnosed. Some symptoms, like night sweats, fever, fatigue and achiness, resemble flu-like symptoms. Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as you get better, leukemia symptoms generally last longer than two weeks, and may include sudden weight loss, bone and joint pain and easy bleeding or bruising. Other early warning signs of leukemia include:
- Unintended weight loss
Chronic myelogenous leukemia may not cause noticeable symptoms. However, when it does cause symptoms, they may include:
- Unintended weight loss
- Fever Pain or fullness below the left ribs
Because some conditions occur as side effects of the disease, the following may be signs of leukemia:
Anemia: A low red blood cell count. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. This condition may contribute to weakness, fatigue or shortness of breath.
Leukopenia: A low white blood cell count. A decrease in the production of functional leukocytes weakens the bodys immune defense, which may make you more prone to infections.
Thrombocytopenia: A low blood platelet count. Platelets are the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. A shortage of blood platelets may lead to easy bruising or bleeding.
When leukemia results in thrombocytopenia, symptoms may include bleeding from the gums and nose. In women, thrombocytopenia can result in heavy or abnormally long menstruation.
Read Also: Ways To Help Chronic Fatigue
Signs And Symptoms Of Light Chain Amyloidosis
Patients with amyloidosis can have some of the same problems as patients with myeloma, such as kidney problems and nerve damage. They can also have other problems, such as:
- Heart problems: The heart may enlarge and become weaker. In some people, the heart becomes so weak that fluid builds up in the lungs, making them feel short of breath. Fluid may also build up in the legs and feet . This is called congestive heart failure.
- Enlarged liver: The person may feel the liver below the right ribs. When this gets large it can press on the stomach so the person feels full after eating only a small amount of food.
- Enlarged tongue: When amyloid builds up in the tongue it can get larger. This can lead to problems swallowing and problems breathing during sleep .
- Skin changes: Changes in the color or texture, easy bruising, and bleeding into the skin around the eyes
- Kidney problems
You May Like: Mayo Clinic Lower Back Pain Exercises
What Causes Thrombocytopenia
In rare instances, thrombocytopenia is inherited, or passed from parent to child. More commonly, certain disorders, conditions and medications cause a low platelet count. These include:
- Alcohol use disorder and alcoholism.
- Autoimmune disease which causes ITP. ITP is sometimes associated with other autoimmune conditions such as lupus.
Don’t Miss: Heavy Duty Anti Fatigue Mat
Low Platelet Count Bruising
Your bruises indicated that you had a dangerously low platelet count. Treatment centers on getting the immune system to stop its antibody production. Prednisone, one of the cortisone drugs .Low Platelet Count Bruising Gray Platelet Syndrome. Gray platelet syndrome is a bleeding disorder associated with abnormal platelets, which are small blood cells involved in blood clotting. People with this condition tend to bruise easily and have.A low platelet count makes you bruise easilyone of the telltale symptoms of blood cancers. If you have symptoms of blood cancer, see your doctor immediately. Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplantation.
How Do Platelets Stop Bleeding
If damage occurs to the wall of a blood vessel, the vessel 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 will carry this test out in a laboratory.
A normal platelet count is 150,000450,000 platelets/µl . When the number of platelets is low, this concentration reduces.
Females usually experience a platelet count that varies slightly during the menstrual cycle and can fall near the end of pregnancy.
The following platelet counts
two types of bone marrow tests: a bone marrow aspiration and a bone marrow biopsy. Both tests require a doctor to use a needle to take a sample of the bone marrow for examination. Aspiration involves the collection of a small amount of fluid, whereas a biopsy involves the collection of some soft tissue.
A doctor may diagnose thrombocytopenia after ruling out other causes of a low platelet count.
You May Like: Crohn’s And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
How Low Blood Platelet Counts Develop
Platelets in the blood are constantly renewed by bone marrow, and counts stay normal and consistent through a process of ongoing production and destruction. In healthy people, platelets wind up dying off after about 10 days, at which point theyre replaced by new ones. But in people with low platelets, there are either less platelets being produced, or a faster removal of platelets, which keep counts abnormally low.
Bone marrow is the sponge-like tissue inside the bones, which contains very valuable cells called stem cells. Stem cells mature and develop into various types of blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Someone who experiences damage to stem cells inside the bone marrow isnt able to make the necessary blood cells and platelets needed to properly clot blood. People with normal blood platelet counts have between 150,000450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood, but those with low counts can have much less.
According to the American Society of Hematology, thrombocytopenia can be caused by genetic/inherited factors or as a side effect of peoples lifestyles, including the medications they take, their diets and their medical histories, which all affect how their spleens and bone marrow function. Genetic mutations can cause thrombocytopenia due to diminished production or shortened life span of platelets related to alterations in transcription factors, cytokines, cell surface receptors and signaling molecules.
What Is A Low White Blood Cell Count
A low white blood cell count is a decreased number of white blood cells in the blood. A low WBC count is referred to medically as leukopenia.
WBCs, which are produced in the bone marrow, are an important part of your immune system and your bodys natural weapon to fight off bacteria, viruses and other germs. When you have a low white blood cell count you may be immunosuppressed, which means that you are more vulnerable to potentially serious infections that do not go away or are hard to treat.
A low WBC count is usually discovered by your physician or health care provider during routine testing or through the course of diagnosis and treatment for an underlying disease, disorder or condition. A normal WBC count is approximately 4,500 to 10,000 WBCs per microliter of blood. A low WBC count is generally below 3,500 WBCs per microliter of blood, but this number varies depending on the medical laboratory, the particular test used, and the individual medical practice.
The significance of a low WBC count varies and may be more serious depending on your medical history, overall health, and the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Some people may naturally have a mildly low WBC count. The normal range of low to high WBC counts also varies by age and gender.
Recommended Reading: Weight Loss Fatigue Joint Pain
Read Also: High Blood Pressure Nausea Fatigue
Changes To Your Medicines
Some medicines, such as some antibiotic and antiviral medicines, can cause thrombocytopenia. Other medicines, such as blood-thinning treatments and some drugs you can buy without a prescription can increase your risk of bleeding if you have thrombocytopenia. Your medical team will check what medicines you are taking and will stop or adjust the dose of any that might be affecting your platelet count or your risk of bleeding.
If you are having chemotherapy and your platelets are very low, your chemotherapy dose might be reduced, or you might have a longer break between treatment cycles to give your platelet count time to recover. Sometimes, your chemotherapy regimen might be changed.
When Should I Be Concerned
It is important to remember that many different things can cause fatigue and/or anaemia, and more commonly it can be explained by lack of sleep, long hours at work, hormone imbalances, anxiety, depression or dietary deficiencies. However, for this reason, leukaemia can be hard to spot because the signs and symptoms are common to other unrelated problems. As a general rule, if your level of tiredness is affecting your ability to function properly and is persisting for an unusual length of time, visit your GP to gain professional opinion and rule out any underlying problem.
Knowing what other symptoms are typical of leukaemia is crucial for helping you make the decision to visit your GP sooner for a blood test. Connect the dots between the symptoms of leukaemia and spot leukaemia sooner.
For information on the other symptoms of leukaemia, click here.
Also Check: Body Aches Chills Headache Fatigue
Diagnosis And Treatment Of Covid
A diagnosis of COVID-19 is confirmed with two tests:
- A viral test indicates if you have a current infection.
- An antibody test can show if you had a past infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 or who has been directly exposed to someone who is positive for COVID be tested for the virus.
If you test positive for an active infection, you will need to follow steps to protect the people around you, usually by isolating yourself and letting close contacts know that youve been infected.
There is only one medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19 at the moment: Veklury . However, it is reserved for the treatment of hospitalized people over the age of 12. There are multiple other medications that have Emergency Use Authorization, such as Actemra .
Generally, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 are treated with remdesivir or dexamethasone or similar corticosteroids if they require supplemental oxygen. You may also be treated with blood thinners to control blood clotting.
People who are dealing with the virus at home should monitor their symptoms and stay in touch with their doctors if they are concerned. You should head to the emergency department or call 911 if you have trouble breathing or your symptoms suddenly become worse.
Overall, you will want to:
Also Check: How To Fix Mental Fatigue
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.
Recommended Reading: Why Do I Feel Fatigue After Eating
Read Also: Shortness Of Breath Fatigue No Energy
Why Is Knowing Their Count Important
It is important to know your platelet count, as well as the count of your other blood cells because they can show how your bone marrow is working, and it can also show how your body reacts if it goes through a traumatic experience.
The number of references, meaning the number the world uses to say the platelet count is okay, is between 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter of blood. If by doing blood work your platelet count comes within those numbers, it means they are functioning normally.
If they count less than 150,000, it means that your platelet count is low and u
You have a condition called thrombocytopenia. In the most serious situation, the platelet count can reach below 10,000, which is called severe thrombocytopenia.
On the other hand, if it shows that the count is higher than 400,000, this means your platelet count is higher than it should be, a condition called thrombocytosis.
What is important to know is that, even if their count is low, the ones that exist are executing their function normally, it is just that if you dont have enough of them in your body, they wont be able to do what they are meant to do as well as they would if the platelet count was normal.
When Should I Seek Medical Care For Thrombocytopenia
If thrombocytopenia is detected on routine blood work, it is generally addressed and investigated by the physician who orders the test. In people with known thrombocytopenia, follow-up care is decided based on the diagnosis and the severity. However, if a person has one or more of the above-listed symptoms, they should seek a healthcare professional as thrombocytopenia may quickly worsen and become serious in some individuals.
People with thrombocytopenia are, in general, initially cared for by an internist or a family practice physician. Sometimes, consultation with a doctor who specializes in blood disorders is helpful for a more thorough investigation or treatment, but others may require additional help.
Recommended Reading: Is Fatigue A Sign Of Depression
Natural Treatments For Low White Blood Cell Count
Although it can be scary to know that your bodys defenses are lowered, leukopenia is far from an incurable problem. Along with conventional medications and treatments, there are natural remedies for leukopenia. By bolstering the blood marrow and dealing with potential causes of the low white blood cell count, you can get your immune system back on track.
Improved Diet: Keeping to a balanced diet, particularly one rich in vitamins like B12 or folate, is a good leucopenia home remedy and can help keep your bone marrow stocked with the nutrients it needs to build new leukocytes. Fish, dairy, beans, grains, green veggies, and tofu are all recommended for these two nutrients, and your doctor may advise you to take vitamins to supplement this low white blood cell count diet.
Medication Adjustment: As mentioned above, some medicines can cause leukopenia. Its best to stick with some, like chemotherapy, but if you are taking antihistamines, antibiotics, or other comparatively minor medications then you should talk to your doctor about possible alternatives or changes to your dosage.
Steroids: Although we focus on natural health treatments at Doctors Health Press, some doctors may prescribe steroids to treat low white blood cell count. Steroids can be used to send extra instructions to the bone marrow that encourages it to boost white blood cell production.
Related:
Stopping Treatments Or Medications That Cause Leukopenia
Sometimes you may need to stop a treatment to give your body time to make more WBCs. Your blood cell counts may naturally rise when treatment like radiation is over or between chemotherapy sessions. The amount of time it takes for WBCs to replenish varies from person to person.
If youre taking a medication that causes leukopenia, your doctor may adjust the dose that youre taking. They may also recommend switching to a different medication, if possible.
Donât Miss: How Do I Know If I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Don’t Miss: Extreme Fatigue And Stomach Pain
More Treatment Options For Children With Itp
- While treatment options are expanding for children with ITP many of the newer innovative therapies are approved for use only in adults, but not for children.
Young ITP patients share the financial challenges involved in accessing new treatments, and how long it took to obtain effective treatment . Since there are less children with ITP requiring treatment compared to adults, the fear is that effective therapies will continue to be out of reach for many. Access to additional therapeutic options could reduce the emotional toll the disease has on children, who often suffer the most from restricted activities .
Donât Miss: What Causes Dizziness Fatigue And Blurred Vision
