Natural Remedies for Management Of Thrombocytopenia In The Delicate Ones
Thrombocytopenia is the medical term used for a condition in which the human blood is left with much less than the required amount of platelets. Also known as thrombocytes, platelets are these tiny, colourless cells floating inside our blood.
What Happens In Thrombocytopenia?
The appropriate range for platelets is 1, 50, 000 – 4, 50, 000 per every micro litre of blood. These are the blood cells primarily responsible for the process of clotting. They clump the blood together, and form plugs in our blood vessels, each time there has been any bleeding, external or internal. Therefore, they heal the injuries caused to our blood vessels, and prevent excessive loss of blood.
In case of insufficient platelets, our body’s ability to clot blood goes significantly down. This could prove dangerous, as the excessive loss of blood will cause our body to run out of blood. Incessant internal bleeding can lead to brain haemorrhage and even prove fatal.
Signs and Symptoms
Let us look at some of the symptoms which could indicate the onset of thrombocytopenia.
- Frequent or excessive bruising, followed by bleeding
- Nausea
- Dizzyness
- Bleeding from nose and/or gums
- Presence of blood in urine or stool
- Unusually heavy menstruation
- Dehydration
- Severe Headache
- Aching Joints
The symptoms and the risk factors, however, can either be mild or severe, depending upon just how insufficient are platelets in the blood.
What Causes Thrombocytopenia?
Now, there are various factors that could contribute towards reduced platelets. Broadly, these can be classified into two categories – Slowed production of platelets (usually a bone marrow dysfunction), or an increased destruction of platelets.
Reduced production
The bone marrow is responsible for producing the RBCs, WBCs and platelets, and sending them out into our blood. In some cases, however, our bone marrow is unable to produce sufficient platelets on regular basis. This could be attributed to nutritional deficiencies, such as that of vitamin B-12, folate and iron. Anaemia, viral infection, exposure to chemotherapy, radiations or toxic substances, etc. could also cause bone marrow dysfunction and lead to thrombocytopenia.
Increased Destruction
In this case, our body begins to destroy much too many platelets. The usual lifespan of each platelet is about ten days. In case of an immune function disorder, pregnancy complications or a bacterial infection, the platelets sometimes begin to get destroyed way before their time. This causes a significant imbalance in the production and destruction of platelets. This could also be the side effect of taking certain medications.
Treatment Options
While not everyone with a reduced platelet count needs immediate medical treatment. But in case of severe thrombocytopenia, measures should be taken to not only restore the platelet count to normal, but also diagnose and address the underlying issue. You may need to replace the lost blood by transfusing red blood cells or platelets into your blood. Changing medications that could be leading to platelet destruction is another means to stop the growing loss of platelets.
Natural means of treating thrombocytopenia
Papaya Leaf Extract
Medical practitioners worldwide have concluded that the juice obtained from the leaves of Carica Papaya is, in fact, associated with an accelerated rate of increase of platelet count. Regular consumption of papaya leaf extract has been recorded to significantly increase the platelet count among those suffering from mild to severe thrombocytopenic conditions. This extract serves as an excellent and effective, alternative means of treatment. It is natural, does not cost much and is by and large safe, as long as you are taking the dosage as advised by your physician. Owing to its popularity, it is readily available in the form of pills these days.
The consumption of aloe vera in one form or the other also helps purify our blood and prevents the likelihood of blood infections, eventually improving the quality and amount of platelets in the blood.
Increase the amount of Vitamin B-12 (dairy based products and animal based food such as eggs, clams and beef liver), iron (lentils, beef, pumpkin seeds, etc.) and folate (kidney beans, peanuts, oranges, etc.) in your diet. While vitamin B-12 keeps our cells healthy, the iron is important to allow smooth production of healthy blood cells
The major role of vitamin C in this case is to ensure efficient functioning of the existing platelets. It also allows our body to absorb the iron that we are consuming, and builds our overall immunity. Some rich sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, bell peppers, mangoes, broccoli, mangoes, pineapple, amla, lemon juice, etc.
Including some beetroot in our daily salad or having a glass of fresh beetroot juice also goes a long way in improving the platelets in the blood. It also prevents the oxidation process from damaging our platelets in the first place.
While you are following all these measures and taking all necessary precautions against thrombocytopenia, you must also bring down or quit the consumption of foods that decrease the platelets in our blood. These include alcohol, quinine, cow’s milk and cranberry juice, etc.
About the Author:
Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.
Dr Sonica Krishan’s Books are available at Amazon
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