What are blood platelets in short answer?
A tiny, disc-shaped piece of cell that is found in the blood and spleen. Platelets are pieces of very large cells in the bone marrow called megakaryocytes. They help form blood clots to slow or stop bleeding and to help wounds heal.
Platelets, or thrombocytes, are small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that form clots and stop or prevent bleeding. Platelets are made in our bone marrow, the sponge-like tissue inside our bones.
Your platelets function to stop bleeding. During an injury, your platelets will cluster together at the site of the wound to act as a plug, sealing blood vessels in a process called clotting to prevent excess blood from leaving your body.
While the primary function of the platelet is thought to be hemostasis, thrombosis, and wound healing through a complex activation process leading to integrin activation and formation of a “core” and “shell” at the site of injury, other physiological roles for the platelet exist including immunity and communication ...
When you have a low platelet count, you may have trouble stopping bleeding. Bleeding can happen inside your body, underneath your skin, or from the surface of your skin. You may not have serious bleeding until your platelet count is very low.
If your platelet count is too high, blood clots can form in your blood vessels. This can block blood flow through your body. Thrombocythemia refers to a high platelet count that is not caused by another health condition. This condition is sometimes called primary or essential thrombocythemia.
Inflammatory conditions like autoimmune diseases, cancer or trauma, as well as certain infections and iron deficiency, are common causes of a high platelet count. Treatment is directed at the stimulus, and the platelet count returns to normal once resolved.
Infections: Bacterial and viral infections may lower your platelet levels. Alcohol use disorder: Alcohol slows platelet production. Drinking a lot of alcohol may cause your platelet level to drop. Toxic chemicals: Exposure to toxic chemicals, including arsenic, benzene and pesticides, may affect your platelet level.
- Milk. We all know that milk is a rich source of calcium and protein and is important in maintaining the strength of bones and muscles in our body. ...
- Green Leafy Vegetables: ...
- Papaya Leaf Extract: ...
- Pomegranate: ...
- Pumpkin: ...
- Wheatgrass: ...
- Vitamin B-12. ...
- Iron.
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Platelet count ranges by age.
| Age (years) | Approximate platelet count (male) | Approximate platelet count (female) |
|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 240,000 | 265,000 |
| 35–49 | 245,000 | 270,000 |
| 50–64 | 230,000 | 260,000 |
| 65–74 | 220,000 | 250,000 |
How long do platelets live?
They have multiple functions and a life span of 7–10 days in human. They are produced by megakaryocytes (MKs), mostly in the bone marrow.
The regeneration of platelets after their removal by defibrination is remarkably rapid and amounts, on an average, to about one fifth of the entire number in the blood per day.
Corticosteroids: These medicines help increase platelet counts. Corticosteroids include prednisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone. This may be the first treatment your provider recommends for a low platelet count.
Dangerous internal bleeding can occur when your platelet count falls below 10,000 platelets per microliter. Though rare, severe thrombocytopenia can cause bleeding into the brain, which can be fatal.
Fatigue has been documented in focus groups of patients with ITP; in these groups, over 90% of patients have described symptoms of fatigue. Many patients say that their symptoms of fatigue are worse when their platelet count is low.
If your platelet level becomes too low, your doctor can replace lost blood with transfusions of packed red blood cells or platelets. Medications. If your condition is related to an immune system problem, your doctor might prescribe drugs to boost your platelet count. The first-choice drug might be a corticosteroid.
A recent increase in the platelet count was associated with risk of colon cancer (OR, 5.52; 95% CI, 5.21-5.86), lung cancer (OR, 4.77; 95% CI, 4.51-5.04), ovarian cancer (OR, 7.23; 95% CI, 6.12-8.53), and stomach cancer (OR, 5.51; 95% CI, 4.82-6.29) (Figure 3 and eTable 7 in the Supplement).
Dark chocolate, foods with low glycemic index, garlic, ginger, omega-3 PUFA, onion, purple grape juice, tomato, and wine all reduce platelet aggregation. Dark chocolate and omega-3 PUFA also reduce P-selectin expression. In addition, dark chocolate reduces PAC-1 binding and platelet microparticle formation.
Short-term stress is associated with changes in platelet function. Long-term stress is associated with a high platelet count. Short and long-term stress is associated with platelet aggregation, which is when they group together near an injury site. This can increase the risk of blood clots.
- Sometimes your body makes too many platelets.
- You might develop clots in your blood vessels or have unusual bleeding.
- Your hands and feet may burn and tingle.
What disease causes too many platelets?
Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a rare blood disorder that causes a high number of blood cells called platelets to form. These are blood cells involved in blood clotting. Thrombo means clotting and cythaemia relates to blood cells. It is also known as primary thrombocythaemia or essential thrombocytosis.
For women, the average platelet count is between 157,000 and 371,000 per microliter of blood. For men, the average is between 135,000 and 317,000 per microliter of blood.
Reactive, or secondary, thrombocytosis happens when your platelets increase in response to something else — a condition, an injury, an infection, surgery, absent spleen, etc. With reactive thrombocytosis, you have high platelets because your body “reacts” to an underlying cause.
Certain cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma can lower your platelet count. The abnormal cells in these cancers can crowd out healthy cells in the bone marrow, where platelets are made. Less common causes of a low platelet count include: Cancer that spreads to the bone.
Abstract. The rhizomatous plant turmeric, which is frequently used as a spice and coloring ingredient, yields curcumin, a bioactive compound. Curcumin inhibits platelet activation and aggregation and improves platelet count.
Even egg whites helps in boosting your platelet count as they contain albumin which is a vital protein found in the blood plasma.
To increase the blood platelet counts incorporate plenty of fluids like coconut water, pomegranate, or cranberry juice.
Foods high in certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B12 and C, folate, and iron, may help increase your platelet count.
Putting this together, we determined the following platelet count reference intervals for seniors aged 60 years and older: 165–355 × 109/L for females, and 150–300 × 109/L (60–69 years), 130–300 (70–79 years), and 120–300 (80 years and above) for males.
Several studies show that acute exercise results in a transient increase in platelet count. This increase is caused by hemoconcentration and by platelet release from the liver, lungs, and, importantly, the spleen [4–6].
Can you increase platelets with diet?
A person may be able to increase their platelet count naturally by consuming foods that contain folate and vitamins B9, C, D, and K. It is essential to maintain adequate platelet levels to ensure that the blood clots correctly. Doctors diagnose people with thrombocytopenia if they have a low platelet count.
When you give platelets, your body immediately begins converting more stem cells into platelets and will replace the donated platelets within 72 hours.
A decrease in platelets can result in easy bruising, bleeding gums, and internal bleeding. ITP may be acute and resolve in less than 6 months, or chronic and last longer than 6 months. Treatment options include a variety of medications that can reduce the destruction of platelets or increase their production.
The primary regulator of platelet production is thrombopoietin, an acidic glycoprotein produced primarily in the liver, kidney, and BM.
A single donation of platelets can yield several transfusable units, whereas it takes about five whole blood donations to make up a single transfusable unit of platelets.
Vitamin C-rich food items like Amla (or Indian gooseberry), pineapple, broccoli, tomatoes, and mangoes can, directly and indirectly, help in increasing your platelet count.
Milk : It has high calcium which helps to regenerate the platelet. Calcium content with vitamin K and milk protein “Fibrinogen” increases the Platelet count and improves the blood's ability to form the clot. Calcium Deficiency can lead to your body much longer time in forming a clot .
Acute psychological stress can similarly affect platelet function,42 particularly among those prone to anxiety. Platelets are activated by their interaction with various circulating agonists (including serotonin and catecholamines) via separate and specific receptors in the platelet membrane.
Decreased platelet production
Viral infections, such as HIV, hepatitis C, mumps, rubella, or the Epstein-Barr virus, may cause platelet numbers to fall . Bone marrow disorders, such as leukemia and lymphoma, can also affect how many platelets the body can produce.
HIV and AIDS have been shown to cause a low platelet count since the 1980s. It is a common complication of HIV infection, in addition to the medicines used to treat HIV and AIDS. In fact, often the low platelet count is due to thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP).
Do you have to be hospitalized for low platelets?
Most patients can be managed with outpatient treatment. They may not need hospital admission. In most patients, ITP symptoms begin to improve within days to weeks and go away within several months.
The symptoms usually begin suddenly and may include headache, fever, loss of appetite, cramping abdominal pain and/or joint pain. The resemblance to ITP is that red or purple spots typically appear on the skin that may resemble bruises, but thrombocytopenia is quite uncommon.
Pancytopenia is a condition in which you are low in all three types of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Signs and symptoms inculde feeling weak, tired, dizzy, fever, chills, bruising, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums.
ITP is a medical term for a condition in which there is bruising or bleeding because there are fewer platelets in the blood than usual (thrombocytopenia) and is usually caused by something going wrong with the immune system (the body's defence against infection).
Decreased production of platelets
Factors that can decrease platelet production include: Leukemia and other cancers. Some types of anemia. Viral infections, such as hepatitis C or HIV.
The primary role of platelets is blood clotting and stopping bleeding when blood vessels are damaged, which is also called hemostasis.
A person may be able to increase their platelet count naturally by consuming foods that contain folate and vitamins B9, C, D, and K. It is essential to maintain adequate platelet levels to ensure that the blood clots correctly. Doctors diagnose people with thrombocytopenia if they have a low platelet count.
Because platelets are produced in your bone marrow, decreased platelet production is often related to a bone marrow problem. Some factors that can cause decreased platelet production are: Leukemia or lymphoma. Certain types of anemia.
Fatigue has been documented in focus groups of patients with ITP; in these groups, over 90% of patients have described symptoms of fatigue. Many patients say that their symptoms of fatigue are worse when their platelet count is low.
Immune thrombocytopenia is not life-threatening for most patients, and it has high potential for resolving spontaneously or with treatment. Thus, the life expectancy of most patients with ITP is similar to that of the general population. Acute ITP usually resolves spontaneously in 6 months or less without treatment.
Which fruits are good to increase platelets?
Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries and blackberries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants tend to neutralize the free radicals and thus help cope with the decrease in platelet count. Including berries in the diet may help in increasing platelet count.
Platelets are made in your bone marrow along with your white and red blood cells. Your bone marrow is the spongy center inside your bones. Another name for platelets is thrombocytes. Healthcare providers usually call a clot a thrombus.
Platelets store large amounts of serotonin that they release during thrombus formation or acute inflammation. This facilitates hemostasis and modulates the inflammatory response.
Blood clots can affect anyone at any age, but certain risk factors, such as surgery, hospitalization, pregnancy, cancer and some types of cancer treatments can increase risks. In addition, a family history of blood clots can increase a person's risk.
Dark chocolate, foods with low glycemic index, garlic, ginger, omega-3 PUFA, onion, purple grape juice, tomato, and wine all reduce platelet aggregation. Dark chocolate and omega-3 PUFA also reduce P-selectin expression. In addition, dark chocolate reduces PAC-1 binding and platelet microparticle formation.
- Canned and frozen foods and leftovers. The nutritional value of food deteriorates with time.
- White flour, white rice and processed foods. ...
- Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or trans-fats. ...
- Sugar. ...
- Dairy products. ...
- Meat. ...
- Alcoholic beverages. ...
- Foods that can interfere with blood clotting.
Vitamin D treatment may be beneficial in medical conditions in which platelet counts are higher than normal, and may help decrease platelet counts. Vitamin D replacement, especially in patients who have vitamin D deficiency, may decrease platelet counts and risk for thrombotic events.