According to the Mayo Clinic, the medical term for low blood platelets is thrombocytopenia. It indicates a deficiency in the necessary blood platelets to keep your blood functioning as it should. Although it sometimes comes on with no signs or symptoms, when signs and symptoms do show, they are quite dramatic and alarming and should lead to a trip to the doctor. As LowPlatelets.com points out, signs are things you see while symptoms are sensations you feel.
General Tiredness
An example of a symptom, according to LowPlatelets.com, is a general feeling of tiredness, acquired through normal daily activities. It is normal to feel exhausted after a long day at the job. But if you constantly feel physically depleted after walking down the street to the store, or using the vacuum in the living room, it may be time for a checkup at the doctor's office.
Fear or Uncertainty
Fear without a specific cause can be a sign of trouble as well, according to LowPlatelets.com. Although fear and uncertainty are emotions, it could be an indication that this disorder has begun to affect the brain. Bleeding in the brain can be fatal and indicates a medical emergency.
Hematuria
Hematuria, according to HealthBlurbs.com, is the medical term for a sign involving red blood cells that show up in the urine. As HealthBlurbs.com points out, it can arise from kidney, prostate or bladder cancer, or it can be the result of a problem that's less severe. The mere presence of blood, however, always necessitates a trip to the doctor for evaluation, as HealthBlurbs.com points out.
Purpura
According to LowPlatelets.com, purpura is another example of a sign. It involves large purple spots on the skin. They can be red or purple and are the result of bleeding under the skin.
Petechiae
According to HealthBlurbs.com, petechiae are smaller red or purple spots which can be evidence of blood underneath the skin that leaks from the capillaries, or small blood vessels. As the Web page also points out, the marks usually originate on the lower leg, but you can have these spots anywhere on your leg. According to LowPlatelets.com, they appear as a rash.
Nosebleeds
According to HealthBlurbs.com, nosebleeds are caused by irritation of your nose lining, especially when dry. They are cause for alarm when the blood is especially profuse and when they happen for no apparent reason.
Easy Bruising
According to the HealthBlurbs Web page, bruising usually starts reddish in color but will morph into green, then to yellow before fading away. Doctors usually test people who bruise easily for leukemia or other serious blood disorders.
Heavy Periods
Most women have a period in their menstrual cycle when bleeding is heaviest. However, if you notice that you are bleeding more heavily than normal, and, as HealthBlurbs points out, it's been seven days or more, see your doctor.
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