Platelets control blood clotting, which means they are critical for healing wounds and stopping bleeding.
A normal platelet count is 150,000450,000 platelets per microliter.
A low platelet count can put you at risk for uncontrolled bleeding.
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It is also possible to have too many platelets in your blood.
This leads to a potentially life-threatening condition related to abnormal clotting.
What Platelets Do
Platelets get their name from their appearance.
They look like tiny, colorless plates.
Platelets are one of three types of blood cells.
(Red blood cells and white blood cells are the other types of blood cells.)
Platelets form in thebone marrowfrom cells known asmegakaryocytes.
What Causes Low Platelets?
If the body doesn’t have enough platelets circulating in the blood, you may develop a condition calledthrombocytopenia.
You may need medical treatment for this condition.
What Causes High Platelets?
What Is a CBC?
A complete blood count (CBC) is a test that gives information about different blood cells.
First, blood is drawn by a doctor.
A CBC helps doctors diagnose a number of medical conditions.
The CBC provides specific lab markers that refer to platelets.
These markers include the following.
A platelet count below 20,000 per microliter is a life-threatening risk.
You might start to bleed spontaneously and seemingly without reason.
The bleeding could be very hard to stop.
If this occurs, you may be given a platelet transfusion.
It’s important for your doctor to know your platelet count before and after surgery.
These numbers are used to predict the risk of bleeding and clotting problems.
Alow numbermeans there’s a slowdown in production in the bone marrow.
Platelets live in the bloodstream for about eight to 10 days.
Platelet Distribution Width (PDW)
PDW measure the variations in size among the platelets.
This measurement can reveal conditions that affect the platelets.
Summary
Platelets are tiny cells with a highly important function in the body: to stop bleeding.
There is a wide range of normal in terms of platelet count.
Your healthcare provider can usually determine whether there’s a problem with a routine blood test.
Having too few or too many platelets is a symptom of another condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Treatmentis only necessary if thrombocytopenia is causing health problems.
Under a microscope, blood platelets look like small plates when inactive.
When activated, they look like an octopus as they grow small tentacles.
University of Rochester Medical Center.
Health Encyclopedia.What Are Platelets?
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University of Rochester Medical Center.
Health Encyclopedia:What Are Platelets?
