What is Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura?
I.T.P. or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, also known as Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, is classified as an autoimmune disease.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (I.T.P.) is a bleeding condition in which the blood doesn’t clot as it should. This is due to a low number of blood cells called platelets (PLATE-lets). Platelets are also called thrombocytes (THROM-bo-sites), and they’re made in your bone marrow (along with other kinds of blood cells). Platelets circulate through the blood vessels and help stop bleeding by sticking together (clotting) to seal small cuts or breaks.
Idiopathic (id-ee-o-PATH-ick) means that the cause of the disease or condition isn’t known in western medicine. Thrombocytopenic (throm-bo-cy-toe-PEE-nick) means there is a lower-than-normal number of platelets in the blood. Purpura (PURR-purr-ah) are purple bruises caused by bleeding under the skin. More extensive bleeding can create a three-dimensional mass called a hematoma (he-ma-TO-ma).
What are the symptoms of low platelets?
Low platelet symptoms often include easy bruising, bruising that lasts longer than it should, headaches, fatigue, blood blisters in the mouth, easy bleeding when brushing teeth, small red dots on chest and limbs (Petechia). Rarely, symptoms can include bloody stools and bleeding cuticles.
Low platelets are a common symptom to many ailments. People can how low platelets due to chemo-therapy treatments, viruses, cancers, bone marrow health problems, auto-immune diseases, as well as many other reasons.*
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI)
