That said, it tends to be used when a diagnosis is uncertain or in certain situations.
Blood dyscrasias may affect blood components,bone marrow, lymph tissue, or blood vessels.
They can be cancerous or benign, common or not, and they can range from mild to life-threatening.
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This article discusses blood dyscrasias, their causes, types, and common symptoms.
It also discusses what you’re free to expect during diagnosis and treatment.
Blood is made up of both plasma (the liquid component) and cells.
Causes of Blood Dyscrasias
The causes of blood dyscrasias are not always known.
When this is the case, healthcare providers often use the termidiopathic.
This means the cause is uncertain or even totally unknown at the time.
Causes and risk factors can fall into several categories, which sometimes overlap.
Blood Dyscrasia Types and Classification
There are a number of different blood dyscrasia types.
Some conditions affect only one key in of blood cell.
When there are too few of them, its calledanemia.
There could also be a normal number of abnormally functioning cells.
They can also be due to a normal number of platelets that function abnormally.
They can be genetic or they may develop later in life.
It can be seen with some cancers and inflammatory conditions, such asessential thrombocythemia.
Bone Marrow Disorders
Diseases related to the bone marrow are another important cause of blood dyscrasias.
In some cases, the bone marrow is infiltrated with abnormal cells.
This limits the production of normal blood cells and often leads to a deficiency of all blood cell types.
Symptoms can also be because of the build-up of these cells within the lymph nodes or spleen.
This can cause cell death and pain that is often severe.
An increase of red blood cells can result in a red facial complexion and headaches.
White Blood Cells
When white blood cells levels are low, infections may develop.
These may include:
The symptoms of bleeding disorders overlap with platelet conditions.
Specific symptoms often depend on the severity of the disease.
If the condition is mild, you may notice increased bleeding after surgery or dental procedures.
With more serious disorders you may have spontaneous bleedings.
Sometimes blood clots occur without these risk factors in someone who is otherwise healthy and has not been sedentary.
When this happens, your healthcare provider will consider the possibility of a clotting disorder.
Bone Marrow Disorders and Malignancies
Bone marrow disorders may affect all types of blood cells.
Symptoms of these conditions can be similar to those of blood cell disorders.
Many of these are not obvious.
A few examples include:
Diagnosis
Blood dyscrasias are often diagnosed with multiple steps.
These depend on symptoms, family history, physical findings, and more.
A blood dyscrasia is often suspected when a person sees a primary care provider.
A workup may be started with your healthcare provider, or you may be referred to a hematologist/oncologist.
A hematologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis of blood dyscrasias, whether benign or cancerous.
verify to mention anything abnormal in your history, such as heavy menstrual periods.
After the initial exam, you may be referred for testing.
This test is essential in diagnosing some types of leukemia.
When cancer is suspected, further tests such as biomarker testing will be done on the cells.
If a clotting factor abnormality is suspected, specific testing will be done.
Sometimes its enough to just treat the underlying condition.
Other times, a deficiency in blood cells or absence of clotting factors will need to be treated directly.
Clotting disorders require treatments that help reduce the risk of clotting.
Bleeding disorders require treatments that help the blood clot.
Fresh frozen plasma and/or replacement of missing clotting factors are also often needed.
Blood dyscrasias can have many different causes, ranging from mild to life-threatening.
The term blood dyscrasia is sometimes used during diagnosis, before the cause of symptoms is known.
Some potential causes can include different types of anemia, blood cancers, medication use, and platelet disorders.
Blood dyscrasias are usually diagnosed with a combination of medical history, exam, and tests.
Treatment may involve treating the underlying cause or treating the condition directly.
It can take time to diagnose a blood dyscrasia.
The process is a little like putting together a large jigsaw puzzle without a reference photo.
double-check to ask a lot of questions so you understand why any recommended tests are being done.
Still, our minds sometimes have a go at fill in the answers by going straight to those possibilities.
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