LOW PLATELET COUNT
A low platelet count is below 150,000. If you do not have enough platelets, you may bleed too much.
If your platelet count is below 50,000, your risk of bleeding is much higher. Even every day activities can cause bleeding. If your platelets are low, you need to know how to prevent bleeding and what to do if you are bleeding.
A lower-than-normal platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. Low platelet count can be divided into 3 main causes:
- Not enough platelets are being made in the bone marrow
- Platelets are being destroyed in the bloodstream
- Platelets are being destroyed in the spleen or liver
3 of the more common causes of this problem are:
- Cancer treatments, such chemotherapy or radiation
- Drugs and medicines
- Autoimmune disorders, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue, such as platelets
HIGH PLATELET COUNT
A high platelet count is 400,000 or above
A higher-than-normal number of platelets is called thrombocytosis. It means your body is making too many platelets. Causes may include:
- A type of anemia in which red blood cells in the blood are destroyed earlier than normal (hemolytic anemia)
- Anemia due to low iron
- After certain infections, major surgery or trauma, or allergic reactions
- Cancer
- Certain medicines
- Bone marrow disease called polycythemia vera
- Bone marrow making too many platelets without a known cause (primary thrombocythemia)
- Recent spleen removal
Some people with high platelet counts may be at risk of forming blood clots. Blood clots can lead to serious medical problems