Thrombocytopenia: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Thrombocytopenia: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Have you ever noticed unusual bruising or bleeding that takes longer to stop? It might be a sign of thrombocytopenia, which happens when your blood has fewer platelets than usual to form a clot properly. Platelets are tiny cells that help your blood clot, so without enough of them even a small injury can lead to prolonged or excessive bleeding. Take a look at this article to learn about low platelet count symptoms, causes, treatment options and more.

Have you ever noticed unusual bruising or bleeding that takes longer to stop? It might be a sign of thrombocytopenia, which happens when your blood has fewer platelets than usual to form a clot properly. Platelets are tiny cells that help your blood clot, so without enough of them even a small injury can lead to prolonged or excessive bleeding. Take a look at this article to learn about low platelet count symptoms, causes, treatment options and more.

What is Thrombocytopenia?

Thrombocytopenia is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally low number os platelets (also known as thrombocytes) in the blood. Platelets are essential for normal blood clotting, so a deficiency increases the risk of bleeding.

Thrombocytopenia happens when your body doesn’t make enough platelets, breaks them down too fast or they get stuck in the spleen. This can occur due to health problems like cancer, infections or certain medicines. Doctors usually treat it by addressing the underlying health issue or adjusting the medication that is causing it.

Normal Platelet Count is 150,000 – 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Thrombocytopenia is typically defined as:

• Mild: 100,000 – 150,000/microliter

• Moderate: 50,000 – 99,000/microliter

• Severe: <50,000/microliter