Thrombocytopenia - causes, symptoms and treatment
A pathological reduction of platelets in the blood is called thrombocytopenia. It can be an independent disease or a symptom of another pathology. It is desirable to know the symptoms of thrombocytopenia in adults and children in order to respond to them in a timely manner and carry out treatment.
Why does thrombocytopenia develop
This disease can occur for various reasons. A hematologist will be able to name the main one after a complete examination of the patient. The main factors that provoke a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood:
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Hereditary diseases. Most often, thrombocytopenia occurs in Bernard-Surya syndrome, TAR-syndrome, May-Hagglin anomaly.
- Pathologies of the hematopoietic system – myelofibrosis, aplastic anemia, metastases of an oncological neoplasm. Such thrombocytopenia is called secondary, that is, it is not an independent disease, but only a symptom of the presence of another pathology in the body. The causes of secondary thrombocytopenia can lie in banal abuse of alcoholic beverages, in receiving high doses of radiation exposure, and in forced long-term use of cytostatics.
- Destruction of platelets in the spleen or liver (happens extremely rarely). It is observed in thrombocytopenia of newborns against the background of severe viral diseases.
- Different diseases that affect internal organs and occur in a chronic form. These include systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, scleroderma, tuberculosis, hepatitis, malaria, and cirrhosis. Often, the disease is diagnosed against the background of the presence of benign tumors, the removal of which restores the number of platelets.
Forms and types of thrombocytopenia
There are several types of thrombocytopenia:
- Autoimmune. A "failure" occurs in the body, the immune system begins to perceive its own platelets as foreign bodies. The result is the destruction of these blood cells. How to treat autoimmune thrombocytopenia? Doctors carry out symptomatic therapy, administer special drugs that support the immune system. The complex of medical measures consists of a course of glucocorticosteroids, after which, in the absence of positive dynamics, surgical removal of the spleen is carried out, followed by the appointment of immunosuppressants. .
- Essential thrombocytopenia. It is most often diagnosed in people aged 50-70 years. Its development is often associated with previous surgical interventions, chronic pathologies of internal organs, and iron deficiency. Treatment of essential thrombocytopenia is limited to taking Aspirin. There are no serious problems in the functioning of the body, so it is not necessary to prescribe aggressive drugs.
- Thrombocytic purpura syndrome is the first type of disease described. It is diagnosed mainly in childhood. The disease occurs much more often in girls than in boys. The syndrome is associated with a blood coagulation disorder, so the patient will need not only to undergo a course of treatment, but also to be constantly under the supervision of a hematologist.
- Thrombocytopenia in newborn children. It can accompany congenital pathologies or develop as a secondary disease during infection, premature birth or asphyxia during childbirth. Treatment begins in the maternity hospital with the use of prednisolone, immunoglobulin, ascorbic acid. Thrombocytopenia in newborns often requires transfusion of platelet mass. During the treatment period, the baby is removed from breastfeeding.
Degrees of thrombocytopenia
It is accepted to distinguish three degrees of severity of disease development:
- Easy. The number of platelets in the patient's blood is at the lower limit of normal. There are no obvious manifestations of the disease yet. In most cases, the diagnosis is made completely by chance, for example, during a standard medical examination. No treatment is required. Doctors use wait-and-see tactics, observing the patient's state of health.
- Average. The number of platelets in the blood is reduced. The patient complains of hemorrhages under the skin, extensive hematomas even with light blows, nosebleeds. An idiopathic type of the disease often occurs in this form. Treatment is prescribed only in the event of a threat of internal bleeding, for example in the stomach. Specific drugs for idiopathic thrombocytopenia are also prescribed to those who are professionally involved in sports, because the risk of severe bleeding and large hematomas in the tissues and under the skin in such people is very high.
- Heavy. The disease is manifested by significant bleeding in the internal organs. In the blood test - a sharp decrease in the number of platelets up to critical indicators. Treatment is mandatory, which often requires the patient to stay in an inpatient unit.
How thrombocytopenia is detected
Depending on the degree of the disease, a person may complain of:
- spontaneous hemorrhages under the skin and mucous membranes;
- dizziness and periodic nausea;
- failure of strength and increased drowsiness;
- prolonged bleeding during tooth extraction;
- too abundant menstruation.
In pregnant women, the disease can manifest itself in a banal decline in strength and frequent formation of small and medium-sized hematomas under the skin. Thrombocytopenia is not treated during pregnancy. Exceptions are cases of a sharp decrease in the number of platelets in the blood and complaints of a pregnant woman about frequent hemorrhages under the skin. Drug therapy is recommended to prevent brain hemorrhage.
On the pages of our site Dobrobut.com there is information about immune thrombocytopenia - what it is, who can diagnose it and how it is treated. Questions can be asked to specialists by phone, the number of which is indicated on the portal.
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