Why are platelets needed and how many should be normal

What are platelets

Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) are blood cells that can form clots (blood clots) to stop possible bleeding.

Marlene Williams MD, Director of the Coronary Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, USA

For example, if you cut yourself, platelets recognize the signal from the damaged blood vessel and rush to it to literally close the wound. What are Platelets and Why are They Important? …

Platelets are one of the three main types of blood cells. They differ from erythrocytes and leukocytes in that they are able to change their shape.

How platelets work

These blood cells can exist in two forms. What are Platelets and Why are They Important? - inactive and active.

In an inactive form, platelets are like flat plates, tiny plates. In English, these cells are called platelets (from the word plate - plate, plate). This condition persists as long as they travel freely in the bloodstream.

But as soon as cells receive a signal from a nearby damaged blood vessel, they change. In medical terms, they take an active form. Tentacles grow in "little plates", and outwardly platelets look like small octopuses.

The tentacles help to securely attach to the damaged area of the vessel. And at the same time stick to each other. This is how a blood clot forms.

The blood clot will persist until the damage to the vascular wall heals, that is, until the vessel stops signaling an injury.

Why you need to know the level of platelets in the blood

To understand whether the body is able to effectively cope with bleeding - both external and internal. The latter can occur, for example, with a stomach ulcer or endometriosis.

If there are not enough platelets in the body, this can lead to a large loss of blood.

And when there are many platelets What are Platelets and Why are They Important?, there is a risk that they will begin to stick together just like that, without a distress signal from a blood vessel. Such blood clots are deadly. Moving freely through the bloodstream, they can block vital vessels and lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism.

What is the rate of platelets in the blood

Normal What are Platelets and Why are They Important? the number of platelets is 150–450 thousand pieces per microliter of blood.

If the platelet count is above this level, doctors talk about a condition called thrombocytosis Thrombocytosis: Diagnostic Evaluation, Thrombotic Risk Stratification, and Risk-Based Management Strategies. If below - about thrombocytopenia Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count).

When and how to determine the level of platelets in the blood

This indicator is included in the general blood test (CBC). It is done by taking blood from a vein in the arm with a needle.

The Platelet Count therapist usually issues a referral for a general blood test if you come for a routine examination or with complaints of poor health. In some cases, the doctor will want to check the level of platelets, as they say, specifically: if you have symptoms that do not affect your well-being, but indicate a blood clotting disorder. These symptoms include, for example:

bruises that appear on the skin just like that, for no apparent reason;
Unexpectedly prolonged bleeding from tiny cuts and wounds
frequent bleeding from the nose or gums;
too heavy menstruation.

Also, regular tests for the level of platelets in the blood are needed for certain diseases or methods of therapy that can affect blood clotting. Such diseases include, for example, COVID-19.

What to do if your platelet count is above or below normal

Platelets, like other blood cells, are produced in the bone marrow and live in the bloodstream for 8-10 days What Are Platelets? and are consumed in the formation of blood clots. Deviations of their level from normal are possible for three main reasons for Platelet Count.

The bone marrow is malfunctioning and produces too many or few platelets.
There is some kind of defect in platelets that causes them to break down too quickly.
There are certain conditions - illness, surgery, chosen treatment methods - that cause the body to consume or produce excess platelets.

Only your supervising doctor should determine what exactly the blood test results mean and what they may indicate. He will definitely look into your medical history, ask in detail about your health and symptoms. Perhaps he will offer to retake the analysis or send for additional examinations. And only then will he establish a diagnosis and decide whether you need treatment and what it should be.