Platelet Plunge: Recognizing Early Symptoms of Immune Thrombocytopenia
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Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) causes blood platelet levels to drop, and because of low platelet count, ITP patients' blood does not clot as it should. Made in the bone marrow, platelets are little blood cells that clump together to create a plug that closes wounds. We refer to this blockage as a blood clot, but if your platelet count is low, your body can have problems halting the bleeding from any injury, leading to greater harm.
Acute ITP ends in less than six months and is the most prevalent kind of ITP, primarily affecting boys and girls in their early years. Chronic ITP primarily affects adults and lasts for six months or more, and some adolescents and teenagers may sometimes experience this kind of ITP. Research shows women are affected by chronic ITP two to three times more frequently than men are.
What is Immune Thrombocytopenia?
Low platelet count, or immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), is a disorder that prevents blood clotting, and you may bruise easily, bleed a lot when you're harmed, or start bleeding for no apparent reason if your blood cannot form clots. Antiplatelet antibodies are aberrant proteins produced by the immune system in individuals with ITP, and these proteins cling to the blood platelet surface, treating them as germs or viruses that are encroaching. The spleen separates the impacted platelets from the blood as they travel through the circulation because they are irregular.
An individual is diagnosed with thrombocytopenia when the amount of platelets in the blood falls below the lower limit of normal as more and more platelets get eliminated by the spleen. A person may experience unusual bleeding following a minor skin injury, such as a cut, medical injection, or tooth extraction if their platelet counts drop to less than 50,000. Even in the absence of an injury, there is a greater chance of bleeding if the person's platelet counts drop below 20,000. If this kind of bleeding occurs inside the skull and brain, it is referred to as an intracranial hemorrhage and is extremely deadly.
Bloody urine can also be a symptom of immune thrombocytopenia and is caused by bleeding in the kidneys and bladder. ITP occasionally disappears on its own or improves with therapy, but in other instances, immune thrombocytopenia is a chronic illness for which there is a treatment but no cure. Treatment for chronic ITP patients may be required for the remainder of their lives, depending on the patient.
There are two types of immune thrombocytopenic purpura: acute and chronic. A viral infection may precede the acute type, which affects both sexes and manifests in infancy, and the majority of children have a benign course and don't need any medical attention. Chronic thrombocytopenic often strikes people without the presence of a viral infection beforehand. For months or years, there may be bleeding episodes because of chronic thrombocytopenic, during most of that period, the platelet levels remain almost normal.
Immune Thrombocytopenia Symptoms
Immune thrombocytopenia symptoms are mild, and people may have it without realizing it. As a result, medical professionals are unsure of the precise number of individuals affected by this illness, but they are aware that 3-4 out of every 100,000 children and adults may suffer from it.
A platelet count of 150,000 to 450,000 is considered normal, but a child with ITP often has a platelet count of fewer than 100,000. By the time the bleeding is serious, the child's platelet count can be below 10,000, and the risk of bleeding increases with decreasing platelet count.
The symptoms of ITP are associated with increased bleeding because platelets aid in halting bleeding, but people may have a unique set of symptoms.
These are the most common symptoms of thrombocytopenia:
Purpura: The purple hue resulting from blood leaking beneath the skin and may form because of a bruise. Despite no documented trauma, children with ITP may develop significant bruises, and just moving might cause bruises in the elbow and knee joints.
Petechia: Petechia is a tiny red spot under the skin caused by microscopic bleeding.
Bleeding in the mouth
Nosebleeds
Bleeding around the gums
Bloody urine
Blood in vomit
Bruises
Severe menstrual bleeding
Stomach hemorrhage
Excessive fatigue
The most serious issue of ITP is bleeding in the brain, and any head injury that happens when there are insufficient platelets to halt the bleeding may be fatal. Symptoms of thrombocytopenia can appear suddenly or gradually and could result in bleeding throughout your body. Seek medical attention if you have signs of thrombocytopenia, such as fresh bruises or unusual bleeding.
The first step in diagnosing this disease is a thorough checking of medical history and physical examination. The physician may also carry out a complete blood count (CBC) that counts the various blood cells in a given amount of blood and determines their size, quantity, and maturity.
Additional testing, including blood and urine, may also be performed to gauge bleeding duration and identify any infections. To examine your platelet production and rule out any aberrant cells that could reduce platelet counts in the bone marrow manufacturing process, a bone marrow check may be conducted. ITP symptoms might mimic those of other blood illnesses or health issues, and for a diagnosis, you should always speak with your doctor.
Final Remarks
When your immune system produces antibodies that misidentify your cells as intruders and then trigger other immune cells to target your platelets, the result is immunological thrombocytopenia. Blood platelets swarm an injured region and clump together to form a blood clot that stops bleeding when anything cuts or destroys your blood vessels (primary hemostasis). What sets off the immune system's assaults on platelets is unknown to experts, and even though treatment is available, a full cure is not yet possible.
Your healthcare professional will perform a physical examination to look for signs of thrombocytopenia, including checking for bleeding under your skin before establishing a diagnosis. Symptoms of ITP are similar to those of other bleeding disorders, and giving your doctor your full medical history is necessary. Similarly, ITP might be a side effect of blood malignancy, and prior to diagnosing, your healthcare practitioner will rule out any other potential reasons.
If you think you have experienced symptoms of ITP, consult a qualified Immunologist without any delay!
