Do You Experience Random Bruising? Learn About This Autoimmune Blood Disorder
Bruises typically appear when one experiences a hit, bump, or fall causing small blood vessels under the skin to get damaged. Most of the time they're nothing to worry about. However, easy bruising or bruising from no known trauma can sometimes indicate a serious underlying condition, such as a blood-clotting problem or a blood disease. TheHealthSite.com spoke to Dr Ragesh Radhakrishnan Nair, Director- Of haemato-oncology and BMT, Meitra Hospital to understand more about this condition and how one can identify it.
While in most cases bruises aren't a major concern and heal themselves, it is important to know that easy bruising may be a sign of an underlying condition called Immune Thrombocytopenic (ITP). In ITP, the immune system destroys the platelets which help the blood clot, thereby, decreasing their count. A normal platelet count ranges between 150,000 and 450,000 but with ITP, the count can go as low as 10,000. This low platelet count prevents the blood from clotting properly leading to easy bleeding and bruising.
ITP patients may also experience small red dots that look like a rash, heavy menstrual periods, fatigue, and nosebleeds. Sometimes the bleeding can be severe leading to bleeding in the brain (intracranial haemorrhage) or bleeding in the stool (gastrointestinal haemorrhage). This requires immediate attention.
ITP can be diagnosed through a complete blood count and a peripheral blood smear to examine platelet levels. In some cases, a physical examination is also conducted to check for bleeding on or under the skin. Some of the symptoms of this condition might look like other medical problems, it is thus beneficial to consult a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis. When you see a haematologist, they may suggest a bone marrow aspiration.
ITP is a chronic disease in which patients may end up having lifelong treatment hence, experts stress its appropriate management. Regular blood count evaluation helps in keeping a track of the condition and enables the physician to prescribe the best course of treatment. The treatment course depends on an individual's symptoms. There are cases, where a particular symptom is more severe for one patient than some other symptoms and it is important for the treating physician to consider these for disease management.
The treatment for ITP is usually through oral medication, mostly steroids. 70% of children with ITP might end up having their disease cured through treatment. In acute cases, platelet transfusion and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) are sometimes prescribed.
However, a worrying trend in ITP patients is frequent changing in treating physicians due to anxiety about inconsistent platelet counts. Many also end up engaging in frequent testing and self-medication which could potentially worsen the condition. Patients must understand that with ITP, the platelet count keeps fluctuating and minor changes need not be a cause of worry. It is advisable that patients adhere to a treatment regime and undergo testing post-discussion with their treating physicians.
ITP is not a critical condition, and most patients lead normal lives. The condition can be managed well by making some lifestyle changes and appropriate treatment. Some milder cases might only require regular monitoring and no immediate treatment. In certain cases, such as patients on blood thinners, might be advised to be more cautious as this can affect the platelet count.
