By: Admin Super
Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are the smallest of our blood cells, they circulate in our blood and come to the rescue whenever there is any kind of blood vessel damage. They are the reasons why our bleeding stops.
Whenever there is any kind of hurt or bleeding, platelets bind together and clot the blood. A normal platelet count ranges between 150,000 to 450,000/microlitre of blood. A single drop of blood means losing tens of thousands of platelets from your body.
How can you know your platelet count?
It is important to know the platelet count because it keeps you in a safer place to know that nothing is wrong with your body. Sometimes too much bleeding or no bleeding at all can be a sign of blood platelets’ fault. So, it is very important to know the count and be a step ahead. All you need is a test in a lab to know your count.
There will be a healthcare expert in the lab or hospital, who will draw a sample of blood from you with a small needle. The tube filled with your blood will help run the test and let you know your blood count. This is known as the CBC – Complete Blood Count.
Generally, a count between 150,000 to 450,000 per microlitre of blood is considered to be normal for a human body, which means it is natural and how it should be. But below 150,000 means a low platelet count and above 450,000 means a high platelet count.
What does having a high platelet count mean?
Having more than 450,000 platelets in one microlitre of blood indicates that your body has a high platelet count. This condition is medically known as thrombocytosis. It is a blood and bone marrow disease.
Symptoms of thrombocytosis –
Excessive, continuous, and unstoppable bleeding can sometimes be a sign of high platelet count. There are two types of thrombocytosis – essential and reactive.
Treatments for thrombocytosis –
What does having a normal blood platelet count mean?
Having a platelet count between 150,000 to 450,000 per microlitre of blood is considered to be the normal range in the human body. This is the natural count as one should have in their blood. A person with this range seems to work and live functionally.
Although, it is completely normal if the range of platelet count varies from one person to another, depending on their age, sex, health issues.
What does having a low blood platelet count mean?
Having less than 150,000 platelet counts is considered to be alarming in the human body. It means the bone marrow is not making enough platelets for the body. This serious condition is known as thrombocytopenia.
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia –
Thrombocytopenia is not inherited or passed down by genes. It is a medical condition caused by several factors that lead to reduced platelet count. This condition either traps the platelets in your spleen- causing an enlarged spleen or destroys platelets.
Treatments for thrombocytopenia –