5 Diseases That May Affect Your Platelet Count

Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are microscopic blood cells that assist your body in forming clots and stopping bleeding. A few diseases can affect the balance of platelet cells in your body, and doctors can prescribe a platelets blood testto get a proper diagnosis and understand what issue is affecting the platelet count.

Platelets are the body’s natural bandages to stop bleeding. Once you suffer from some kind of injury or fracture, these platelets will jump into action and cluster together and block the open wound. This overall process is known as clotting and is extremely necessary for a wound to get better as it stops bleeding from happening.

Low or high platelet cells can be caused by a number of conditions, and this article details these conditions, symptoms of platelet count imbalance, and how it can be tracked and measured through a platelets blood test.

How is Platelet Count Measured?

If your doctor suspects that your symptoms align with a low or high platelet count, they’ll prescribe a platelets blood test to get a better idea. This blood test helps in detecting the exact amount of platelet cells present in your body and is often performed if the patient is suffering from excessive bleeding, large bruising, dengue, cancer, and/or undergoing treatments like chemotherapy. Once you find out about your platelet cell count, the doctor can make a proper diagnosis and provide you with a suitable treatment plan.

As for the platelet count test price, the cost is affected by a lot of factors, such as the demand for the test, which area and state you live in, lab charges, phlebotomy charges, etc. You can also take advantage of discounts and promotional offers to get a better price. Certain websites have discounts and offers that can help you get the test done at a much lower rate.

A normal platelet count stands at:

For women, platelets range from 157,000 to 371,000 per microliter of blood.
For males, platelets range between 135,000 and 317,000 per microliter of blood.
Overall, the typical range is 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per microliter.

5 Diseases That Can Affect Your Overall Platelet Count

Several diseases can affect your platelet cell count, some of which have been listed below for your reference:

Lupus:

Lupus is a form of chronic autoimmune illness. Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly assaults healthy cells and tissues. This onslaught creates inflammation. It can also harm other organs of the body, including joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.

Anaemia:

Anaemia, also known as vitamin B12 deficiency and cobalamin, is a disorder in which your body is unable to produce sufficient quantities of nutritious red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. The body needs vitamin B12 to produce healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Because your body cannot produce vitamin B12, you must obtain it from diet or supplements. A platelets blood test can help the doctor detect this condition.

Blood and bone marrow diseases:

There are a couple of diseases that affect the blood and bone marrow and, in turn, can majorly affect the balance of platelet cells in the body. These diseases include but are not limited to aplastic anaemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and leukaemia.

Aplastic anaemia affects the bone marrow and causes it to stop making enough blood cells for your body. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an uncommon but deadly disorder in which irregular blood clotting occurs throughout the body’s blood vessels. You may get DIC if you’re dealing with an illness or injury that interferes with your body’s natural blood clotting mechanism. Leukaemia is a form of cancer that develops in your bone marrow and creates a lot of abnormal blood cells.

Viral infections:

Viral infections like hepatitis and HIV can also be a cause of an imbalance in platelet cell count in the body. Hepatitis C is an infection caused by viruses that damage the liver. It generates inflammation and oedema, which damage the liver cells as time passes. The term “hepatitis” refers to infection of the liver.

HIV, also called human immunodeficiency virus, spreads through your immune system cells, reducing your ability to fight against other infections. When HIV has severely damaged your immune system, it might result in developing immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Sarcoidosis:

Sarcoidosis is a disorder in which groupings of immune system cells create swollen and red (inflamed) lumps, known as granulomas, in different parts of the body. Infections or certain environmental factors can induce the inflammation that results in these granulomas. This disease can affect your platelet cell count and is a common cause for this imbalance.

Platelet disorders can be categorised into two main categories, which are as follows:

Thrombocytopenia: Low levels of platelets can cause bruising and heavy bleeding.
Thrombocytosis: A high number of platelets can cause irregular blood clotting.

Symptoms of Platelet Imbalance

Bruising
Frequent nosebleeds
Gum bleeding
Blood in your faeces or urine
Internal bleeding
Excessive bleeding from minor cuts
Heavy menstrual periods
Muscle and joint discomfort
Tingling in the hands and feet
Swelling in the legs
Severe headaches, dizziness, and weakness

Conclusion

Platelet cells are extremely important for your body as they help with the natural process of healing by forming clots on open wounds and stopping the bleeding. Several diseases can affect the normal platelet count in your body, which can prompt the doctor to prescribe you a platelets blood test. This test accurately detects the amount of platelets you have in your body and can help the doctor make a proper diagnosis.