Why platelets are elevated and what to do about it

A condition in which the body has an increased level of platelets, doctors call thrombocythemia Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or thrombocytosis. It is not always dangerous. But in some cases it can cause serious complications, which are important to be aware of.

Why high platelet levels are dangerous

Platelets are blood cells that begin to clump together, having received a signal about a microtrauma of a nearby section of a blood vessel. This forms a blood clot - a clot of clotted blood that covers the damage. Thus, bleeding stops and the vessel is able to heal. This is a thrombus formation in a healthy person.

But if there are too many platelets, there is a risk of Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that they will begin to clump together just like that. The tiny clots that form on their own obstruct blood flow.

Everything becomes much worse if the blood clot reaches a large size or, breaking off, enters a smaller vessel with the bloodstream. In this case, he can completely stop the movement of blood in one or another part of the circulatory system. This process is called thromboembolism.

If it occurs in the vessels of the brain, a person is at risk of a stroke. In the heart - myocardial infarction. Thromboembolism can affect almost any organ, including the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, and spinal cord. As a result, the part of the organ that has lost blood quickly dies off. And this can lead to disability and even death.

How to know if your platelet count is elevated

Thrombocytosis in most cases proceeds without symptoms Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, so a person may not even know that he has problems with blood clotting.

If signs of an increased platelet count appear, then they are not specific. For example, it can be:

lingering headache;
dizziness;
numbness, tingling, or throbbing pain in the hands and feet (palms and soles are especially affected);
a feeling of discomfort in the limbs, back, neck;
vague chest pain;
nausea felt in the abdomen;
bruising Thrombocytosis: Diagnosis, Management & Treatment / Cleveland Clinic on the skin every now and then;
increased bleeding from the nose and gums.

Most often, an increased level of platelets is detected by chance - with a general blood test (CBC). A referral for research is issued by a therapist or other doctor, to whom a person comes with complaints of well-being.

Why is platelet count increased?

It is not always possible to establish the reason. If it does not come out and doctors only record that the bone marrow produces too many platelets, they speak of primary (or essential) thrombocythemia. The term "essential thrombocytosis" can also be used, but the term "thrombocythemia" is considered by physicians to be Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in this case.

If the cause of the increase in platelets can be determined, the condition is called reactive thrombocytosis (or secondary thrombocythemia). It is more common than essential thrombocythemia. Typically, Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute lead to sustained increases in platelet count:

Anemia - iron deficiency or hemolytic.
Infection or inflammation. For example, connective tissue diseases, all kinds of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis.
Taking some medications.
Surgery to remove the spleen.
Cancer. Basically, we are talking about oncological diseases of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, breast, ovaries, cells of the lymphatic system. Sometimes, a high platelet count is the first sign of cancer.

In some situations, the number of these blood cells can increase for a while, but they return to normal quite quickly. This happens Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, for example:

with acute infection or inflammation;
with too much physical exertion;
when recovering from extensive blood loss;
when recovering from a sharp decrease in platelet count, which was caused by excessive alcohol consumption and a lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid.

What to do if your platelet count is high

This is a condition that only a qualified doctor can and should understand. Therefore, you need to contact the specialist who sent you for a general blood test.

There are few CBC results for diagnosis Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The doctor will definitely conduct an examination, look into your medical history and ask additional questions. For example:

What medical procedures have you recently undergone?
Have you received a blood transfusion?
Have you recently had any infectious disease?
Perhaps you were vaccinated some time ago? (It doesn't matter what.)
What medications, including over-the-counter medications, do you take?
How well do you eat?
Do you have bad habits? Do you abuse alcohol?
Have any of your close relatives had problems with the level of platelets?

Thrombocytosis / Mayo Clinic may need to do a CBC a second time to make sure the platelet increase was not (or was) temporary.

Further, the doctor, himself or with the help of a hematologist (this physician specializes in conditions and diseases of the blood), will try to establish the cause of thrombocytosis. This may require additional procedures, including a blood test for iron levels, markers of inflammation and cancer (the so-called tumor markers). Sometimes a bone marrow biopsy is also needed: during this procedure, a sample of the organ will be taken from you using a fine needle for further examination.

When the cause of the increase in platelets is identified, the doctor will prescribe treatment. For example, she will prescribe drugs that thin the blood or reduce the level of problem cells in it. People with essential thrombocythemia will have to take these drugs for the rest of their lives.

If thrombocytosis has already led to complications such as stroke, an emergency procedure like dialysis will be required. A needle is inserted into a vein and blood is pumped through a machine that filters out excess platelets. The purified fluid will then return to the circulatory system.

In addition, the underlying disease, due to which the platelet count has increased, will also be treated. If, of course, doctors can find it.