Brief Answer:
Low platelets can be due to infections, medications, stress and others

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, Thanks for coming to HealthCareMagic,

The condition where your platelets fall below normal is called thrombocytopenia. Normally, you should have anywhere from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood. This is an average. Some people might have slightly lower or slight higher level as their normal and it's quite OK. Platelets are very short lived, only about 10 days on average. Your body continually creates new platelets by producing them in your bone marrow.

Thrombocytopenia has many possible causes:

1) Trapping of platelets in the spleen:

The spleen is a small organ about the size of your fist located just below your rib cage on the left side of your abdomen. Your spleen works to fight infection and filter unwanted material from your blood. An enlarged spleen — which can be caused by a number of disorders — may harbor too many platelets, causing a decrease in the number of platelets in circulation.

2) Reduced production: Platelets are produced in your bone marrow. A disease which affects or weakens bone marrow, such as leukemia and some types of anemia, could lead to a reduction in the number of new platelets produced. Viral infections, may reduce your bone marrow's ability to make platelets. Toxic chemicals, chemotherapy drugs and heavy alcohol consumption also can reduce platelet production.

3) Increased breakdown of platelets: A number of conditions can cause your body to use up or destroy platelets more rapidly than they are produced, leading to a shortage of platelets in your bloodstream. Situations like:

a) Pregnancy. Being pregnant may cause mild thrombocytopenia.

b) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In ITP, your body's immune system mistakenly identifies platelets as a threat and forms antibodies that attack them.
c) Autoimmune diseases. Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause this.

d) Bacteria in the blood. Severe bacterial infections in the blood (bacteremia) will lead to lower platelet counts.

e) Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). TTP is a rare condition that occurs when small blood clots suddenly form throughout your body, using up large numbers of platelets.

f) Medications. Certain medications can reduce the number of platelets in your blood by confusing the immune system and causing it to destroy platelets. Examples include heparin, quinidine, quinine, sulfa-containing antibiotics, interferon, anticonvulsants and gold salts.

Symptoms of Thrombocytopenia could be any or all of the following:

i) Easy or excessive bruising
ii) Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs
iii) Prolonged bleeding from cuts
iv) Spontaneous bleeding from your gums or nose
v) Blood in urine or stools
vi) Unusually heavy menstrual flows
vii) Profuse bleeding during surgery or after dental work

I hope this answer give you what you need. Feel free to follow-up,

Vinay

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Brief Answer:
We need to have this rash examined

Detailed Answer:
Hi again XXXX, welcome back, let me try and clarify things here a bit,

While it is true that extremely low platelet counts can lead to uncontrolled bleeding and death.. its VERY unlikely that a person would be in this situation without other extreme symptoms. For your platelets to get this low... you'd probably be in the ICU on a ventilator.

Yes it can cause liver and kidney damage, but you'd have other symptoms like Jaundice and severe discoloration of the urine or even kidney shut down.

The blood in your stool, again could be due to low platelets, but it could be many other things as well. Plain old constipation can lead to bleeding in stools as well.

The rash you have mentioned sounds like something called a purpuric rash. That may be due to low platelets, but it could due to an allergy as well.

This leads me to believe that you need to be thoroughly examined by a doctor. The rash needs to be examined, your liver and kidney function needs to be tested.

In people in your age group, infections, TTP and ITP are possibilities here, and testing can only be done once a doctor examines you.

So don't worry about death. Its really TOUGH to die from thrombocytopenia since we can transfuse platelets pretty quickly nowadays.

You just need a through checkup.

Vin

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Brief Answer:
Am Always Happy to Help

Detailed Answer:
Take Care, will be here if you need me.

Vin

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