Thrombocytopenia is a very common condition where there is an overabundance of platelets in your blood. Platelets are special blood cells that form a protective clot within the arteries and veins of your body to prevent blood from clotting. This results in less blood being delivered to the heart and other parts of the body.
Abnormal clotting may occur, resulting in clot formation in arteries or veins, which leads to an abnormal blood clot at the site of the clot. These abnormal clots can cause severe problems if they rupture and travel to other places in your body, which can be dangerous.
If you have any suspicion that you have thrombosis, you will need to take a blood test.
The test can measure the amount of platelet and red blood cells and the extent of bleeding
Thrombosis usually occurs when you get blood clots that lodge in the arteries of your body. The arteries that can be affected by thrombosis include the artery that carries blood from the leg to the heart and the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. These two arteries have a very high risk of being damaged by clumps of blood that lodge within them and cause clotting.
In most cases, if you do not have a blood test and you do not already know you have thrombosis, your doctor will advise you to take a course of oral medication. The medications that will be prescribed will often depend on the size and type of clot that is forming. Depending on the extent of the damage and the type of clot, you may be given an anti-clotting agent, a treatment to dissolve the clot, or a combination of both.
Thrombocytopenia can sometimes lead to the formation of a more serious condition known as arteriosclerosis. With arteriosclerosis, blood clots can form in the walls of the arteries. This condition is usually worse than thrombosis because it can lead to a buildup of plaque on the walls of the arterioles. As the plaque is broken down by your immune system, it can block arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke.
If you are diagnosed with thrombosis, you should go to the hospital right away so that the clot can be removed through a blood test called a blood test. If you do not have a blood test, the first thing your doctor will probably do is order a urine test, which will determine the amount of platelet and red blood cell levels in your blood. The amount of clot will be determined by a special clotting questionnaire. Once the clot is found, your doctor will begin your treatment.
Platelet supplements can help to prevent new clot formation. Blood transfusions are usually given to patients who have more severe symptoms.
If the damage caused by thrombosis is not that severe, you may be advised to try less aggressive treatments. If you are suffering from a particularly bad case of thrombocytosis, you may be given a course of anti-thrombotic drugs, but these may cause serious side effects. If these treatment options do not work, surgery may be recommended.
Surgery is usually the only option for patients with more severe cases of thrombocytosis. If surgery is performed, it will be followed by a procedure known as a thrombectomy, in which the surgery will remove part of the clot by removing the clot from the arterioles. Thrombectomy may also be combined with other surgery treatments to help increase the effectiveness of the procedure.
If surgery is performed, the possible complications are very important to inform the doctor about. Your doctors will want to know about the severity and location of the thrombosed clot, as well as how long it took to heal after it was removed. They will also need to know about any complications that may have occurred during the procedure and what complications may occur after you leave the hospital. Your doctor will probably order laboratory tests to monitor your recovery.
Thrombocytosis is a dangerous condition. If you have a history of it or if you experience severe symptoms, you should seek the help of your doctor immediately.