Common Causes of Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia also commonly known as low platelet count is a medical condition which is characterized by a reduction in the number of platelets freely present in the blood stream of an individual.
Platelets are colorless cells that play an important role in the clotting of blood in case of any wound or injury, thus the decrease in the number of platelets can cause excessive loss of blood and lead to various health risks including death of an individual if the condition is left untreated. There are various factors that cause thrombocytopenia in individuals, some of the most common causes are elucidated and discussed below.

Decreased Production of the Platelets

• According to the Mayo clinic, reduction in the production of platelets is one of the major factors that lead to the development of thrombocytopenia in individuals. This reduction in the platelet production can be because of various causes and medical conditions such as leukemia, anemia and viral infections among others, thus increasing the chances of developing thrombocytopenia.

Drugs and Medications

• Certain drugs such as quinine, rifampin, quinidine, heparin among others are often considered one of the factors contributing towards the development of thrombocytopenia in individuals. These drugs when used regularly and excessively lead to the degeneration of the cells producing the platelets, thus result in the reduced production of the platelets and hence ultimately cause thrombocytopenia or reduced blood platelet levels.

Splenomegaly

• Splenomegaly is a medical condition which is characterized by the enlargement in the size of the spleen. Splenomegaly is considered to be one of the prime factors of thrombocytopenia, most of the platelets present in the blood stream are absorbed by the spleen, hence reducing the number of free platelets in the blood, thereby leading to the condition of thrombocytopenia.

Medical Conditions

• Certain medical conditions such as mononucleosis, auto immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus among others are often considered to be major factors leading to the development of thrombocytopenia in individuals. These medical conditions and diseases generally lead to the destruction and degeneration of the platelets, thus reducing their number in the blood stream and hence causing thrombocytopenia.
  Another immune system disorder, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura also known as ITP is also associated with thrombocytopenia, ITP is defined as a medical condition in which the immune system of the body destroys the platelets as it mistakenly identifies them to be foreign bodies in the blood stream.

Other Common Factors

• Various other common factors such as pregnancy, vitamin deficiency, injury to the blood vessels among others are often considered to be factors causing thrombocytopenia in individuals.