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31.10.2019

Looking at the blood test, you can make a primary judgment about possible diseases and abnormalities. The platelet level in the assay is denoted by PLT.

What does the fact that plt platelets are lowered say, and how to fix it, will be discussed in this article.

Functions of platelets in the blood

Platelets are blood cells resembling flat discs of various diameters (0.002-0.004 mm). They are responsible for several functions in the body:

Emergency occlusion of an open wound

Platelets are sometimes called the "ambulance" of the blood. This name is due to their ability to quickly stop bleeding.

On the surface of platelets are special complex compounds, due to which adhesion (sticking) of cells to each other and to the walls of blood vessels is carried out. In addition, the composition of the surface of platelets includes biologically active substances that can participate in the process of blood clotting.

So, after receiving a cut in the human body, a mass of platelets is sent to an open wound, the rapid division and reproduction of these cells begins, they stick to each other, forming a dense film that prevents blood loss.

Nutrition and vasoconstriction

Platelets are involved in the nutrition of the walls of blood vessels, maintaining the functionality and structure of blood vessels.

Transfer of serotonin, enzymes and other substances in the blood.
Blood restoration
Maintenance of immunity
Removal of killed viruses and body antigens.

Normal content

Platelet rate (∙10 9) per liter of blood:

In adults: 180-350;
In children up to a year: 100-420;
During pregnancy: 150-380;
During menstruation: 150-380.

During the day, the level of platelets can fluctuate up to 10%. That is why it is customary to take tests in the morning on an empty stomach.

Reasons for the low level

It is believed that a low level of platelets in the blood is an indicator below 100 10 9 / l, despite the fact that the lower threshold in the above norms often does not coincide with this value.

The state of the body in which platelets are below normal is called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia factors can be conditionally divided into two groups:

Infectious diseases.

These include

Herpes

Pimples that may appear on the lips, nose, in the genital area.

ARVI, ARI
Hepatitis of various groups
Mononucleosis

An acute viral disease that is transmitted through human saliva, blood and sweat glands.

HIV AIDS

Violation of the immune state of the body.

Autoimmune diseases

With them, body cells are mistaken for pathogens and destroyed as hostile (for example, lupus).

Oncological diseases
Gaucher disease

With this congenital pathology, organs that affect the normal functionality of platelets can be depressed.

Taking certain medications

Blood thinners (such as aspirin and heparin) can cause low platelets in the blood.

Inclusion in the diet of foods that thin the blood

Of course, this reason will have little effect on the decrease in platelets in the blood, but it must also be taken into account when making a diagnosis. Foods that thin the blood include lemon, garlic, cherries, ginger, onions, etc.

Non-infectious causes

Pregnancy;
period of menstruation;

At this time, a woman loses a significant amount of blood, this is what causes low platelets.

Avitaminosis;
Alcohol consumption;
Intoxication with heavy metals;
Violation of the spleen or even its removal.

In addition to the fact that with a decrease in platelets in the blood, blood viscosity decreases and it becomes more difficult to stop bleeding from an open wound, the real threat to life is the following: the vessels become more fragile, lose their elasticity, and internal bleeding can occur.

How to increase platelets

First of all, it is necessary to understand that a low number of platelets in the blood is not a disease itself, it is only a symptom that indicates to the patient and the doctor any deviation in the body. Therefore, before proceeding to measures to increase platelets in the blood, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause, which can only be established after examination in a medical institution.

We can offer ways to deal with low platelets in the blood, which can be followed simultaneously with the main treatment.

Diet

Normalization of nutrition can eliminate low platelets in the blood, if the deviation from the norm is not too great. Your diet should include iron, vitamins A and C.

Foods that increase platelets in the blood:

Berries (rose hips, raspberries, currants, etc.)
Vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, beets, etc.)
Fruits (oranges, apples, persimmons, etc.)
Fish fat;
Almond;
Parsley, spinach;
Buckwheat.

Try to avoid salty pickled foods, spicy and smoked foods.

Rejection of bad habits

Smoking and drinking alcohol thin the blood. Therefore, if you already have low platelets in your blood, this means that the risk of having a stroke and other complications in this case is high.

We strengthen immunity

Since many causes of low platelets are associated with infectious diseases, we need strong immunity to eliminate them as soon as possible. In addition to nutrition, it can be strengthened with medicines: echinacea tincture, a complex of vitamins, antiviral agents, etc.

Folk recipes

nettle leaves

If you have this plant freely available, it will not be difficult for you to prepare a remedy for an adult whose platelets are lowered.

From nettle leaves it is necessary to squeeze the juice in the amount of 1 teaspoon. Add it to a glass of water or milk and drink before meals.

If it is not possible to pick nettles from the ground, you can use dry plants that are sold in a pharmacy. Pour 10 grams of dry leaves with a glass of boiling water, simmer for about 3 minutes over low heat. Cool, strain and consume half a cup before meals.

Sesame oil

Half an hour before meals, you need to drink a tablespoon of oil. A full course of treatment involves about 2 liters of oil.

Decoctions

Rosehip, chamomile and nettle will increase immunity, add the missing trace elements to the body and normalize the low platelet count in the blood.

We mix these plants in fresh or dried form, pour boiling water and leave to brew. This drink should be drunk half an hour before meals at least three times a day. To improve the taste and even more recharging with vitamins, add lemon and honey to the broth.

So, if you find a low platelet count in a blood test, it is advisable to undergo an examination and consult a doctor. Finding out the cause of low platelets in a timely manner will increase the chances that you will quickly and effectively normalize all processes in the body.

Leave your questions, comments and advice on the subject of the article in the comments, share useful information with friends and family.

If the blood contains less than 150 * 10 9 cells / l, then their level is lowered. (table with platelet norms for adults and children). A low level of these cells in the blood is called thrombocytopenia.

Causes of low platelets in the blood

The causes of thrombocytopenia have a different nature. This may be a genetic mutation, a side effect of drugs, or a consequence of pathologies of internal organs. If a decrease in the level of platelets below the norm is detected, it is necessary to consult a doctor to establish the true cause of this condition.

The most common reasons for low platelets are:

insufficient production (with various types of anemia, infections with bone marrow damage, taking certain medications, etc.);
accelerated destruction (with bacterial infections, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, severe poisoning, alcohol abuse, after hemodialysis and blood transfusion, etc.);
pathological distribution (delay in the spleen, in the venous blood flow system, with liver diseases, heart failure).

Low platelets can also have a physiological cause - pregnancy and childbirth. During pregnancy, as a rule, a mild form of thrombocytopenia is noted. Vitamins and trace elements help to increase platelets in the blood during pregnancy. These primarily include vitamin C and zinc.

Symptoms of low platelets

Low platelets may not appear outwardly or cause certain symptoms:

prolonged bleeding from scratches and small cuts;
nosebleeds;
bleeding gums and oral mucosa;
copious and prolonged menstrual flow of blood;
spontaneous appearance on the skin of bruises or capillary hemorrhages (petechiae).

Treatment of conditions accompanied by low platelets

The treatment plan for thrombocytopenia depends on the underlying cause of the low platelets. Sometimes it is relatively simple - if the doctor determines that thrombocytopenia is a side effect of the medications taken, it is enough to stop taking them.

If low platelets in the blood are a symptom of a disease, then treatment is aimed at eliminating this disease. To stimulate the production of these blood cells, folic acid, vitamin B 12, thrombopoietin preparations, actovegin, etc. can be included in the treatment plan.

With a severe drop in platelet levels (
Surgical treatment - removal of the spleen - gives a good result in the destruction of platelets by this organ.

Diet for low platelets

There is little scientific evidence of how dieting can increase blood platelet levels. But the idea that dietary changes can prevent their further decline is not without common sense.

The basic principle of such a diet is that food should be fresh and rich in vitamins K, B 9, B 12, C:

Vitamin K helps the blood clotting process and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is found in green leafy vegetables (cabbage, spinach), broccoli, seaweed, eggs, liver;
folic acid (vitamin B 9) is involved in the process of cell division, which includes platelets. Folates are rich in asparagus, oranges, kiwi, spinach, whole grain baked goods;
vitamin B 12 is found in eggs, milk, cheese, lamb and a number of other products;
Vitamin C is found in oranges, lemons, tomatoes, melon, kiwi, spinach, sweet peppers.

The doctor may prescribe an additional intake of tableted vitamins.

Functions

Platelets are blood cells generated by the bone marrow, the importance of which cannot be overestimated. In the blood, platelets are from a week to one and a half, after which they die in the spleen, liver and lungs.

Platelets are small in size, their diameter is 2-4 micrometers. They are either oval or round in shape. They do not have a nucleus, but platelets contain many granules (about 200) of various types. What functions does an adult, fully matured platelet perform in the body?

The most important function of platelets is to stop bleeding.
They take part in fibrinolysis, in which the blood clot dissolves.
These cells can influence the permeability of capillaries and transport the necessary nutrients to them.
Platelets, like white blood cells, are able to protect the body from bacteria.

Norm

The number of platelets in the blood is determined by a laboratory test. For this purpose, clinical blood tests are carried out. The results of the analyzes are studied by the attending physician and communicated to the patients.

The norm is the range from 200 thousand to 400 thousand units in one cubic millimeter of blood in an adult.

Doctors distinguish three degrees of platelet reduction, depending on how platelets are below normal.

A mild form is present with such indicators: in the patient's blood, platelets are in the range of 50-150 thousand units per microliter.
In the second stage of the disease (moderate degree), the platelet level ranges from 20 to 50 thousand units.
The third degree is characterized by a further decrease in cells. Very low platelets are registered at this stage. Their numbers are below the critical threshold of 20,000.

Low platelets in the blood can be a primary blood disease or mean that there are pathologies in the body that cause a decrease in platelets.

If a bruise forms after a light blow, this means a decrease in the level of platelets

Symptoms

With a decrease in the content of these cells in the blood, symptoms characteristic of each stage are observed.

In the first stage, a low platelet count does not give clear signs of the disease.
In the second degree, a low platelet count in the blood shows well-defined symptoms. Nosebleeds and hemorrhages occur in the oral mucosa, gums bleed. Indicators of the disease are bruising, although the nature of the injury does not suggest such a strong subcutaneous hemorrhage.
In the third stage of the disease, when platelets have fallen to a critical level, symptoms appear that sound the alarm - profuse hemorrhages affect the skin and mucous membranes, and nose bleeds often and strongly.

Low Platelet Count Causes Frequent Nosebleeds

The third stage of the disease is dangerous because adults and children do not have complaints of poor health, although the degree of platelet decrease has reached critical values, and the consequences can be severe, up to cerebral hemorrhage.

What diseases reduce the number of platelets in the blood?

Group 1

This group includes diseases of a genetic nature.

Thrombocytopenia is caused by TAP syndrome, in which the process of growth and maturation of megakaryocytes is damaged, resulting in a below-normal platelet count.
Reduced ability to grow and develop megakaryocytes suffer from congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia. The result is identical - platelets fall in the blood.
The number of cells is reduced with their simultaneous increase to gigantic sizes in May-Hegglin anomaly.
The number of platelets is reduced in Bernard-Soulier syndrome, when very large cells are formed, but they are unable to adhere to the inner walls of damaged vessels and communicate with each other.
Thrombocytopenia cannot be avoided in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, when platelets are pathologically small. Due to their small size, they have defects in the structure, therefore they are functionally incapacitated and live for several hours.

Group 2

This group includes diseases in which the bone marrow does not produce the required amount of blood cells. In these diseases, a sharp, critical decrease in platelets is often observed.

Acute leukemia causes uncontrolled division of stem cells with the formation of their clones, which cannot perform the functions assigned by nature. The reproduction of clones results in a reduced number of normal hematopoietic cells, and due to their deficiency in the blood test, there is a lack of the required number of blood cells.
A similar process with consequences in the form of a reduced number of blood cells of all kinds is observed in aplastic anemia.
Myelodysplastic syndrome results in an abnormal increase in the number of immature hematopoietic cells that form equally incompetent blood cells. As a result, reduced levels of platelets, leukocytes and erythrocytes.
With myelofibrosis, there is an increased growth of fibrous tissue, which gradually fills the entire bone marrow. In parallel, there is a process of reducing the production of blood cells.
The reasons for the deficiency may be cancerous metastases. Because of them, the release of hematopoietic cells produced in the bone marrow decreases.

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia is the cause of low platelets and multiple hemorrhages

Group 3

In this group there are diseases in which the number of platelets produced falls due to the fact that the body intensively destroys them.

A low number of platelets is observed in autoimmune thrombocytopenia.
Another cause of low platelets is Evans-Fisher syndrome, when the body begins to produce antibodies to normal blood cells, as a result of which they die, and there is a lack of them in the blood.
The lack of these blood cells is sometimes observed in newborns. The presence of antigens on the surface of the child's platelets that are not on the mother's platelets leads to a decrease in the number of platelets.

Group 4

In this group are pathologies of consumption and redistribution of platelets, causing their shortage.

The first triggers the platelet activation mechanism directly in the bloodstream, when there is no damage to the internal surfaces. The bone marrow responds to the increased consumption of platelets by increasing their production, which is fraught with thrombocytosis. The desire of the bone marrow to produce more and more platelets exhausts it, reproductive capacity begins to decline, and a drop in the number of platelets becomes inevitable.

Splenomegaly is the cause of low levels of platelets in the blood.

The second pathology occurs when up to 90% of platelets are deposited in the spleen due to enlarged size (splenomegaly), which means their reduced content in the blood.

Group 5

In these cases, the reason for the low value of platelets should be sought in the negative impact of external factors.

Treatment boils down to the fact that on the basis of the studies carried out, the causes of the absence of a normal platelet count are identified and eliminated.

If the disease is in the first stage, although their content in the analyzes is lowered, it is not necessary to treat the patient with medicines.
In the second stage, with a serious decrease in platelets, drug treatment is necessary. The list of drugs varies depending on the pathology that has reduced the number of platelets. Most often, treatment is carried out with such drugs:

immunoglobulin;
prednisolone;
vincristine;
etamsylate;
eltrombopag;
vitamin B12.

If the level has dropped to 20 thousand per microliter and threatens to fall further, then a patient with such indicators is subject to mandatory hospitalization. The slightest shock is enough for the state to become critical.

If the level of platelets falls below the acceptable level, and drug therapy is ineffective, blood transfusion and surgical intervention are practiced.

Blood transfusion can cause serious complications and does not always lead to positive results, although it is necessary in some cases.

During surgery, an operation is performed to remove the spleen, since this organ is the main source of antibodies that destroy platelets. In most cases, after the operation, platelets will return to normal.

In the absence of alternatives, when the low level is caused by severe lesions of the bone marrow, bone marrow transplantation is used.