What are excessive platelets?
There is a wide range of platelet counts that are safe or normal for humans. Healthy people have a platelet count between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets/μl blood. From a value of 450.
000 thrombocytes μl the platelet count is too high. In medical terms, a too high platelet count is referred to as thrombocytosis. Symptoms and severe complications, such as a blood clot, usually only occur with a platelet count of over 800. 000 platelets/μl.
Causes
The most common cause of an increased platelet count is so-called reactive or secondary thrombocytosis. Here, an increased platelet count is caused by another underlying disease. So for example with:
- Acute infections
- Chronic inflammatory diseases
- A bleeding or
- Malignant tumor diseases
- Essential thrombocythemia is a rare cause.
Here, the cause of elevated platelets lies in a malfunction of the stem cell in the bone marrow from which the platelets are formed.
- Other diseases of the bone marrow can also cause thrombocytosis.
Essential thrombocythemia is a very rare disease. Due to a malfunction of the stem cell in the bone marrow, too many thrombocytes are formed and released into the blood. Platelet counts above 1.
000. 000/μl are not rare. This leads to an increased risk of blood clots (thrombosis).
On the one hand there is an increased incidence of blood clots, on the other hand there is also an increased incidence of bleeding because the thrombocytes produced are not functional.
- On the one hand, there is an increased incidence of blood clots, on the other hand, there is also an increased incidence of bleeding, since the thrombocytes produced are not functional.
The body reacts to different processes, e.g. in case of illness or inflammation, with different mechanisms. This makes sense, as it tries to fight the cause and prevent greater damage.
However, this often leads to changes in the blood count. A frequent reaction of the body is an increase in blood platelets. Triggers are, for example: In reactive thrombocythemia, the problem is not the increased platelet count, but the underlying disease.
This usually manifests itself in other symptoms as well. By treating the underlying disease, the thrombocyte count returns to normal.
- Acute infections,
- Chronic inflammatory diseases,
- A bleeding or
- Malignant tumor diseases.
Besides its important role in immune function, the spleen is also important for blood purification.
It recognizes old blood cells, including thrombocytes, and breaks them down. It is therefore not surprising that a disease of the spleen leads to changes in the blood count and also to changes in the platelet count. However, the body is able to live without the spleen.
If the spleen has been severely damaged, e.g. by an accident, it must be removed in an operation. This is called a splenectomy. After a splenectomy, many people have too high thrombocytes. You are wondering whether this could be your cause?
