What is immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)?
Thrombocytes are platelets, which are small cells that circulate in your bloodstream and help blood clot. "-Penia" means too few. So thrombocytopenia is having too few platelets in your blood.
Immune thrombocytopenia is when you have too few platelets because your own immune system destroyed them.
-
With too few platelets, you bleed easily
-
You may have tiny purple spots on your skin and get nosebleeds and bleeding gums
-
Doctors diagnose ITP with blood tests
-
In children, ITP usually goes away on its own
-
Adults with ITP may get corticosteroids or other medicines to slow down their immune system
-
If you're an adult and medicines don't work, doctors may take out your spleen
What causes ITP?
ITP happens when your immune system makes antibodies that attack and destroy your platelets. Doctors don’t know why this happens, but in children it often happens after a virus.
What are the symptoms of ITP?
How can doctors tell if I have ITP?
How do doctors treat ITP?
Doctors treat ITP with:
If you have life-threatening bleeding, doctors may give you a platelet transfusion. Platelet transfusions don't usually work well because the antibodies in your blood attack the transfused platelets too.
Removing the spleen can help keep more platelets circulating in the blood.
In adults, ITP is usually long-lasting, but in children it often gets better on its own.
