In the bone marrow there is the stem cell known as hemotopoietic, which is responsible for producing the rest of the blood cells essential for the proper functioning of the human body, which are: white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. The Thrombocytopenia is any disorder that may be causing the body with a deficiency of blood platelet cells , which are essential for blood clotting, which is why one of the major complications of this condition are bleeding or abnormal bleeding.
Generally, people with thrombocytopenia find out that they have this condition after performing a simple blood hematology, a test that details the values of all the particles and cells that make up the blood fluid in the body. Given this diagnosis, it is very important to go to the hematologist to prescribe medical tests to find the cause of this disorder. In this FastlyHealarticle you can learn a little more about thrombocytopenia: causes, symptoms and treatment .
Table of Contents
Causes of thrombocytopenia
Platelets can be low in the body due to three main causes :
- The bone marrow does not make enough platelets.
- There is an increase in the destruction of platelets in the bloodstream.
- Increased breakdown of platelets in the spleen and liver.
When thrombocytopenia results from poor platelet production in the bone marrow, the main causes are:
Aplastic anemia . It is a type of anemia in which the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells due to damage to immature stem cells in the blood, which lowers platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells.
Leukemia . It is a type of cancer that originates in the blood and begins in the bone marrow. When a person has leukemia it is said that they have white blood, since the marrow produces an excessive amount of white blood cells, but cancer cells prevent the production of red blood cells, healthy white blood cells and platelets, which is why it is considered a of the causes of thrombocytopenia.
Folate deficiency . It occurs when the person has a deficient level in the body of folic acid, one of the vitamins that makes up the B complex, specifically vitamin B9. This substance is essential in the body for the production of blood cells.
Vitamin B12 deficiency . This vitamin of the complex B is in charge in the organism to produce blood cells like the red blood cells, reason why its deficiency is associated with some types of anemia.
Myelodysplastic syndrome . Stem cells do not mature and therefore cannot be converted into healthy blood cells, the ucal can be caused by platelets and low red and white blood cells. These conditions are very rare and usually occur in people over 60 years of age or in those who have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
When the breakdown of platelets in the spleen and liver increases, the main causes are:
Cirrhosis . It is the scarring of the liver and the almost total deterioration of this organ, which makes it function very poorly, being able to destroy a greater amount of blood platelets than normal, leading to thrombocytopenia. Cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver disease.
Swollen spleen. The spleen can be inflamed, in most cases, as a result of other diseases such as leukemia or polycythemia vera. When this happens, the spleen does not work properly well and destroys more platelets than normal.
When it increases the destruction of platelets in the blood flow, the causes are usually:
Disseminated intramuscular coagulation (DIC). It occurs when the proteins that control blood clotting unexpectedly begin to work hyperactively, removing more platelets from the bloodstream. This disorder is generally associated with serious illnesses such as liver disease, pancreatitis, and leukemia.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura . It is a hematological disorder that causes small blood clots to form inside blood vessels, which leads to low platelets in the body, since platelets clump together with these clots and their concentration decreases.
- Autoimmune disorder in which the immune system recognizes platelets (mistakenly) as a risk factor for the body and destroys them.
- Thrombocytopenia can also occur due to the intake of some medications, but especially due to the application of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- People who take blood thinners for heart treatments often have low platelets from drugs like aspirin.
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia
Low platelets do not usually cause any symptoms , in fact, most people find out that they have a hematological disorder from a routine blood test. However, when thrombocytopenia is symptomatic, it can manifest as follows:
- Bleeding from the mouth and gums
- Purples on the skin that do not hurt
- Nosebleeds
- Small red balls on the skin known as petechiae
- Depending on the cause of the thrombocytopenia, other symptoms may appear
In this other FastlyHealarticle we will discover the symptoms, causes and treatment of low platelets .
Treatment of thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia is a disorder that represents a warning sign of possible internal or external bleeding in the body, since it prevents the blood from clotting properly . For this reason, the treatment of this condition consists of balancing the blood platelet levels as quickly as possible, however, to achieve this successfully it is necessary to know the cause of said disorder, since only if the origin is treated, it can be corrected. thrombocytopenia.
In some people with very low levels of platelets due to diseases such as cancer, bleeding, or very invasive treatments such as chemotherapy, platelet transfusions may be necessary to stabilize the concentration of these blood cells in the blood and stabilize the person’s health. .
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Thrombocytopenia: causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our category of Blood, heart and circulation .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.