What is ITP and how does it develop?
ITP has been shown to develop: After a viral or bacterial infection. After certain immunizations. After exposure to a toxin. In association with another illness, such as lupus or HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
Can ITP cause heavy periods?
Low platelet counts from ITP can even affect your menstrual cycles, making bleeding heavier than usual. While heavy periods might seem more like a nuisance than anything else, they can also lead to complications, such as anemia. An occasional heavy menstrual cycle might not be cause for concern.
What are the symptoms of ITP?
For most adults with ITP, the condition is chronic (lifelong). The specific symptoms of ITP are affected by your platelet count: The lower your count, the more likely you are to have spontaneous and unexpected bleeding, both internally and externally.
Can ITP cause bumps under the skin?
ITP can also cause small lumps underneath the skin. These are called hematomas, and they’re made up of areas of clotted blood that pooled in the tissue deep underneath your skin. A hematoma is a type of deep bruise and typically only occurs with a moderate injury. See your doctor for any bumps on the skin or bumps within deeper tissues. 8.
Can stress and anxiety cause low platelets?
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.
What triggers ITP?
Immune thrombocytopenia usually happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets, which are cell fragments that help blood clot. In adults, this may be triggered by infection with HIV , hepatitis or H. pylori — the type of bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.
Can ITP happen suddenly?
Acute ITP usually starts suddenly and the symptoms usually disappear in less than 6 months, often within a few weeks. Treatment is often not needed. The disorder usually does not recur. Acute ITP is the most common form of the disorder.
Can stress effect platelets?
Research data suggest that stress enhances platelet activity, reactivity and immune-modulatory capacities.
What is the most common cause of low platelets?
One of the most common causes of low platelets is a condition called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). You may hear it called by its old name, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
What causes sudden drop in platelets?
Severe bacterial infections involving the blood (bacteremia) can destroy platelets. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. This is a rare condition that occurs when small blood clots suddenly form throughout your body, using up large numbers of platelets.
Can depression cause low platelets?
Platelet BDNF levels have been measured in depressed patients and have been found to be decreased when compared to normal controls.
Is ITP a form of leukemia?
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is not cancer, although some confuse it with blood cancer (leukemia). If you have a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), your doctor will first rule out conditions, such as ITP, before thinking of blood cancer. Cancer treatments can also result in ITP.
What are 3 causes of thrombocytopenia?
What causes thrombocytopenia?Alcohol use disorder and alcoholism.Autoimmune disease which causes ITP. ... Bone marrow diseases, including aplastic anemia, leukemia, certain lymphomas and myelodysplastic syndromes.Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.More items...•
Can extreme stress cause low platelets?
The factor “acute mental stress” was associated with alterations in CD62P+ platelets (p < 0.001), CD63+ platelets (p = 0.011), PAC-1+ platelets (p < 0.001) as well as platelet leucocyte aggregates (p = 0.019).
Are you born with ITP?
Although most babies born to mothers with ITP aren't affected by the disorder, some are born with or develop a low platelet count soon after birth.
What medications cause ITP?
Other medicines that cause drug-induced thrombocytopenia include:Furosemide.Gold, used to treat arthritis.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)Penicillin.Quinidine.Quinine.Ranitidine.Sulfonamides.More items...•
The Phases of ITP
Newly diagnosed ITP: within 3 months from diagnosis Persistent ITP: 3 to 12 months from diagnosis. Chronic ITP: lasting for more than 12 months
What causes ITP?
The specific cause behind why ITP develops is usually unknown and can differ from person to person. ITP has been shown to develop:
What are the symptoms of ITP?
The symptoms of ITP can vary greatly from person to person, and some with ITP may show no signs of having the condition. In general, the lower your platelet count, the more symptoms you may have including:
How is ITP diagnosed?
ITP is a diagnosis of exclusion. Because there is no definitive test to diagnose ITP, your doctor will rule out other causes of low platelets, such as an underlying illness or medications you or your child may be taking. If no other cause is found, the diagnosis is often ITP.
What is the purpose of platelets?
Platelets are relatively small, disc-shaped cells circulating within your blood that bind together when recognizing damaged blood vessels. For example, when you get a cut, platelets bind to the site to cause a blood clot—and stop the bleeding. A normal platelet count is between 150,000 and 450,000 per microliter of blood.
Ask the Experts Q&A
More videos with answers to common questions about ITP, symptoms, treatments, and daily life with ITP.
Why do ITP test results show low platelets?
This is because the body is producing the cells normally, but the body is also destroying them.
How long do ITP platelets live?
ITP platelets usually survive only a few hours, in comparison to normal platelets which have a lifespan of seven to 10 days.
Can ITP be contagious?
Causes of ITP in Children. In most cases, we do now know the cause of ITP in children. It is not contagious, meaning a child cannot "catch it" from playing with another child with ITP. Nothing the parents or the child did caused the disorder.
Can medications cause ITP?
At this time, however, research has not proven a direct link with any specific medication that may cause ITP .
Bacteria and Virus Byproducts
This theory suggests that ITP (and other autoimmune diseases) may be caused by a person’s immune response being confused between its own cells and invading virus and bacteria.
Free Radical Damage (Oxidative Stress)
In this theory, the DNA in our cells can be altered by reactive substances in our bodies. When the changed DNA is a part of the immune control function, it can result in a specific autoimmune disease.
Immune System Defects
Both developing and mature T-cells and B-cells (types of white blood cells) have been implicated in the development of ITP.
Intestinal Changes
Our bodies contain about 100 trillion microbes, most of them bacteria, and most of them living in the digestive tract. These microbes play a role in our adaptive immune system, the part of the immune system that disables harmful viruses and bacteria.
What is Stress and anxiety?
Stress and anxiety is found to be associated with 4,546 drugs and 4,477 conditions by eHealthMe.
What is Thrombocytopenia?
Thrombocytopenia (decrease of platelets in blood) is found to be associated with 3,620 drugs and 3,958 conditions by eHealthMe.
How to use the study?
You can discuss the study with your doctor, to ensure that all drug risks and benefits are fully discussed and understood.
How the study uses the data?
The study is based on Thrombocytopenia and Stress and anxiety, and their synonyms.
Who is eHealthMe?
With medical big data and proven AI algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 600+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature.
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How does ITP affect the brain?
Uncontrolled bleeding from ITP can sometimes affect the brain. Bleeding in the brain is also called a brain hemorrhage. This is most likely to occur when platelets get extremely low, less than 20,000 platelets per microliter of blood. When platelets get to 5,000 per microliter of blood or below, this becomes a medical emergency, and immediate intervention is required. While potentially fatal, bleeding in your brain from ITP is rare, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute#N#Trusted Source#N#.
What is an ITP bruise?
Bruises that keep you away from your favorite activities. In ITP, bruises are the result of uncontrolled bleeding. These bruises aren’t necessarily caused by an injury. However, you might be taking extra precautions to avoid injury by not participating in your favorite activities.
What is refractory ITP?
Refractory ITP is defined as ITP that doesn’t respond well to treatment. This typically is defined by platelet counts that fail to stay above 20,000 platelets per microliter of blood despite spleen removal and multiple medical therapies. Less than 1 out of 10 people with ITP fall into this group.
What is the ITP?
7 Complications of Untreated ITP. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a blood platelet disorder. For most adults with ITP, the condition is chronic (lifelong). The variety of symptoms in ITP is affected by your platelet count.
What are the symptoms of ITP?
ITP can increase your risk for serious infections, especially if you’ve had your spleen removed. Be on the lookout for early symptoms of an infection. These include: high fever and shaking chills. sudden fatigue. other flu-like symptoms. headaches.
Why are platelets important in ITP?
Platelets are responsible for helping your blood clot. When you get a cut and apply pressure against the affected area, your platelets are hard at work to stop excessive blood loss. With ITP, when you have an injury, there aren’t enough platelets available to efficiently stop blood loss.
Is ITP unpredictable?
ITP is unpredictable. Try to focus on ways to reduce your risk from complications attributed to untreated ITP . Talk to your doctor about treatment options and lifestyle changes that could help you manage your condition. Last medically reviewed on February 12, 2018.
