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Symptoms of Immune Thrombocytopenia

Symptoms of Immune Thrombocytopenia
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Updated on July 28, 2023
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Immune thrombocytopenia, also called ITP, is a disorder of the blood in which there is a shortage of platelets, or blood cells that are responsible for normal clotting, according to MedlinePlus.

 As a result of this shortage, blood does not clot as it should.
In a healthy person, platelets clump together to seal off cuts and injuries to blood vessels, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

 But when platelet levels are too low, bleeding can occur both internally and externally.
There are two types of ITP: acute ITP, which is short-term, and chronic ITP. Acute ITP is the more common type and mainly happens in children who have had a recent viral infection.

 It usually lasts no more than six months.
Chronic ITP is mostly seen in adults and lasts beyond six months.

 It is thought to be caused by an autoimmune response in which your own immune system turns on itself and destroys platelets when it is not supposed to. Doctors have yet to figure out why this happens.

7 Signs and Symptoms of ITP

ITP can occur with no symptoms, but these are the ones to look out for.
7 Signs and Symptoms of ITP

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Signs You May Have ITP

In some cases, ITP can occur with no symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms may begin to appear when platelet levels are very low. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), symptoms of ITP can include:

  • Bruising or purple spots on the skin that occur very easily or for no known reason. These bruises are called purpura and may also appear in the mouth.
  • Small red dots that resemble a rash. These dots, called petechiae, are actually caused by bleeding underneath the skin as a result of damage to blood vessels or leaks in a capillary wall.
  • Frequent nosebleeds that are difficult to stop.
  • Bleeding from the gums
  • Unusually long menstrual cycle or heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Hematoma, or a pooling of clotted or partially clotted blood under the skin. A hematoma can cause pain and swelling.
  • Blood in urine, stool, or vomit

Illustrative graphic titled How ITP Affects the Body shows bleeding gums, red, rash-like dots, blood in urine, stool or vomit, hematoma, unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, bruising or purple spots and nosebleeds. Everyday Health logo at bottom left
ITP can cause any or all of these symptoms.Everyday Health

Mental Health Effects of ITP

According to the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA), the excessive bleeding that comes with ITP can lead to anemia, a condition characterized by low levels of red blood cells. In people with anemia, there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues. This often results in extreme fatigue and low energy levels.

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are also common in people with ITP, the PDSA reports. This can lead to social anxiety and difficulties concentrating at work or school. It’s not known whether these are symptoms of the disease itself, the result of anxiety, or side effects of medication.

Symptoms of Brain Bleeds

In rare cases, ITP can lead to a brain bleed, or intracranial hemorrhage, according to NORD.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of brain bleeds may include:

  • Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis in the face, arm, or leg, especially if it is on one side of the body
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Trouble seeing or loss of vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Loss of balance
  • Seizures
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Stiff neck
  • Trouble reading, writing, or understanding speech
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of consciousness

An intracranial hemorrhage is a medical emergency and can be fatal. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, it is important to get to your local emergency room immediately.

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Anna C.E. Hurst, MD, MS, FACMG

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Anna C. E. Hurst, MD, is a medical geneticist with board certification in clinical genetics and pediatrics. She is an associate professor in the department of genetics at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and an adjunct faculty member at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Prior to medical school, she received a master’s degree in genetic counseling, which inspired her interest in the communication of genetic information to patients and families with rare diseases.

Dr. Hurst is a physician for the UAB Undiagnosed Disease program, Turner syndrome clinic, and general genetics clinic, and she provides hospital consultations for inpatients at UAB and Children’s of Alabama for general genetics and inborn errors of metabolism. She also is the medical geneticist for the Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine in Huntsville, Alabama.

Hurst's research focuses on expanding the availability of genomic sequencing for children with complex healthcare needs. She also has an interest in how the patient’s physical exam and facial features can be clues to a rare disease diagnosis (dysmorphology) and serves on the scientific advisory board of Facial Dysmorphology Novel Analysis. She has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles in the field of medical genetics, largely focused on the clinical delineation of rare disease phenotypes. She also serves as an associate editor for the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Hurst is also passionate about education and serves as the program director of the UAB genetics residency programs (categorical, pediatrics-genetics, and internal medicine-genetics) and medical director of the UAB Genetic Counseling Training program. She is an officer with the Association of Professors in Human Medical Genetics.
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Ashley Welch has more than a decade of experience in both breaking news and long-form storytelling. She is passionate about getting to the crux of the latest scientific studies and sharing important information in an easy-to-digest way to better inform decision-making. She has written about health, science, and wellness for a variety of outlets, including Scientific American Mind, Healthline, New York Family, Oprah.com, and WebMD.

She served as the health editor for CBSNews.com for several years as a reporter, writer, and editor of daily health news articles and features. As a former staff member at Everyday Health, she covered a wide range of chronic conditions and diseases.

Welch holds a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where she studied health and science reporting. She enjoys yoga and is an aspiring runner.

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Resources
  1. Immune Thrombocytopenia. Medline Plus.
  2. Immune Thrombocytopenia. Cleveland Clinic.
  3. Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP): Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic.
  4. Immune Thrombocytopenia. National Organization for Rare Disorders.
  5. Brain Bleed, Hemorrhage (Intracranial Hemorrhage). Cleveland Clinic.
Additional Sources