Anemia and Platelets Disorder

Platelet disorders are relatively rare but can increase your risk of other health problems, including anemia. At South Brooklyn Care in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Elvira Neculiseanu, MD, and Aleksandre Toreli, MD, specialize in diagnosing and treating platelet disorders and the anemia caused by them. Call the office today to request treatment for anemia, or book your appointment online.

What is anemia?

Anemia occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your organs and tissues. Without treatment, anemia can sap your energy, leaving you feeling tired and weak.

Anemia occurs for various reasons, but the most common causes are platelet disorders. Platelet disorders cause your body to produce too many or too few platelets. Platelets are proteins that help your blood clot when you suffer a cut, scrape, or puncture.

What are some common platelet disorders?

The South Brooklyn Care team diagnoses and treats various platelet disorders, including:

Essential thrombocythemia

This disorder causes your bone marrow to produce too many platelets, increasing your risk of dangerous blood clots.

Immune thrombocythemia 

This disorder causes your body to mistakenly attack and destroy its own platelets, increasing your risk of blood clots.

MYH9-related disorders 

These disorders are hereditary (genetically inherited) and cause hearing loss and/or kidney problems.

Reactive thrombocytosis 

This disorder causes an elevated platelet count because of an infection. It’s prevalent in people with iron deficiency anemia.

Drug-induced platelet dysfunction 

Certain medications can affect your body’s production of platelets.

Platelet disorders don’t always present obvious symptoms. Routine physical exams and lab tests can catch problems early when they’re most responsive to treatment.

What are the symptoms of platelet disorders?

Symptoms of platelet disorders include:

• Frequent nosebleeds
• Gums that bleed easily
• Heavy menstrual periods that last seven days or longer
• Headaches

You might also have small red dots on your skin caused by bleeding, a condition known as petechiae (puh-TEE-kee-ee).

How are platelet disorders and anemia diagnosed?

Your South Brooklyn Care provider reviews your health charts, asks about your symptoms, and completes a physical exam. Next, they order lab tests, including a complete blood count (CBC). A CBC analyzes the number of solids in your blood, including platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells.

Your provider also collects a blood smear. They look at your platelets under a microscope to see if they’re of normal size. If you have large or abnormal platelets, it could indicate an underlying platelet disorder.

How are platelet disorders treated?

Treating platelet disorders depends on your general health and specific diagnosis. The South Brooklyn Care team could recommend:

• Platelet transfusions
• Steroids
• Intravenous immunoglobulin
• Taking aspirin (to prevent blood clots)
• Taking anti-fibrinolytic medication

It might take trial and error to determine the best treatment for you. Follow your provider’s instructions and attend each of your scheduled checkups.

Call South Brooklyn Care today to learn more about treating platelet disorders and anemia, or book your appointment online.