Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is a medical condition in which you have fewer than an average number of platelets in your body. Platelets are blood cells that help in blood clotting by clumping together and plugging the injury site hence, stopping bleeding. 

Patients with thrombocytopenia show easy or excessive bleeding, blood in the urine or stools, extreme fatigue, and prolonged bleeding from a wound site. Various causes of thrombocytopenia are medical conditions that lead to increased platelet destruction, decreased platelet production, increased trapping of platelets or dilution of blood.

The treatment for thrombocytopenia depends on the severity of the condition. Generally, mild cases of low platelet count go undiagnosed and may not require any specific treatment. In such cases, your doctor may hold off treatment and simply monitor you for some time. In case of severe symptoms, patients are usually prescribed corticosteroids, other medications, or platelet transfusions. Splenectomy or removal of spleen is usually the last line of treatment and is advised when medications fail to treat low platelet count effectively.