High quality blood disorder ITP health advices with Arthur Nathaniel Billings? Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help blood clot. Formerly known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, ITP can cause purple bruises, as well as tiny reddish-purple dots that look like a rash. Children may develop ITP after a viral infection and usually recover fully without treatment. In adults, the disorder is often long term. If you don’t have signs of bleeding and your platelet count isn’t too low, you may not need any treatment. If your symptoms are more severe, treatment may include medications to boost your platelet count or surgery to remove your spleen.
Arthur Nathaniel Billings on blood disorder ITP treatments : What is the incidence of ITP? In the USA about 3,000 to 4,000 of the population have ITP at any one time, and it is not more prevalent in any particular racial or ethnic group. What are the symptoms of ITP? Some people with ITP, especially those with a count over 50, may have no symptoms at all, and their ITP only noticed during a routine blood test. Even people with very low counts, can sometimes have few symptoms.
What is immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)? ITP is a medical term for a condition in which there is bruising or bleeding because there are fewer platelets in the blood than usual (thrombocytopenia) and is usually caused by something going wrong with the immune system (the body’s defence against infection). ITP is not a genetic/inherited condition. How common is ITP and who does it affect? Approximately 4 in every 100,000 people develop ITP every year. It can occur at any age but is slightly more common in women than men.
Steroids. Steroids help prevent bleeding by reducing the rate of platelet destruction. Steroids, if effective, will result in an increase in platelet counts seen within 2 to 3 weeks. Side effects may include irritability, stomach irritation, weight gain, high blood pressure, and acne. Intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG). Intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) is a protein that contains many antibodies and also slows the destruction of platelets. IVGG works faster than steroids (within 24 to 48 hours). Read additional info at Arthur Nathaniel Billings.
Chronic thrombocytopenic purpura. The onset of the disorder can happen at any age, and the symptoms can last a minimum of 6 months, several years, or a lifetime. Adults have this form more often than children do, but it does affect adolescents. Females have it more often than males. Chronic ITP can recur often and requires continual follow-up care with a blood specialist (hematologist). What causes idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura? In ITP, the immune system is stimulated to attack your body’s own platelets. Most often this is a result of antibody production against platelets. In a small number of cases, a type of white blood cell called T-cells will directly attack platelets. This immune system error may be a result of any of the following.