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Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are small blood cell fragments made by your bone marrow. They help form blood clots to stop you from bleeding when you've been injured.

Platelets are small cell fragments in your blood that help form clots to stop the bleeding when you're hurt. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images)

If you have a lower than typical platelet count, it's called thrombocytopenia. This can happen due to different conditions, infections, some medicines, and some surgeries.

If you have a higher than typical platelet count, it can be caused by genetic mutations that make your bone marrow produce more platelets. This is called primary thrombocythemia. If it's caused by an underlying disorder that triggers the stem cells in your bone marrow to make more platelets, it's called secondary thrombocytosis. 

You may or may not have symptoms if you have an abnormal platelet level. If you do, they usually include bleeding or blood clots.

Read on to learn more about a blood platelet count.

What Is a Platelet Count?

A platelet count measures the number of platelets in your blood. It's usually done as part of a complete blood count (CBC), which measures the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in your blood.

Normal platelet count 

Platelets generally make up less than 1% of your total blood volume. A healthy platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. 

Low platelet count (thrombocytopenia)

If your platelet count is fewer than 150,000 per microliter of blood, that means you have a low platelet count. Your doctor may call this thrombocytopenia. If you're injured, you may not have enough platelets to form a blood clot and stop the bleeding. 

You may not have any symptoms with a low platelet count. Your doctor may discover you have it when you go in for a routine blood test. Whether or not you have symptoms depends on how low your platelet count is and what's causing it.

If you do have symptoms, they include:

Low platelet count causes

You may have a low platelet count because:

Your spleen is an organ in your belly that stores about a third of all your platelets and helps your immune system fight infections.

Some conditions that can cause low platelet count include:

High platelet count

If your platelet count is higher than 450,000 per microliter of blood, then you have a high platelet count. A high platelet count can cause blood clots to form in any of your blood vessels, which can lead to deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and heart attack. You may be more likely to develop complications from blood clots if you have conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure that can damage your blood vessels.

If your doctor can't find another health condition that caused your high platelet count, it's called primary or essential thrombocythemia. If it's caused by another condition, it's called secondary or reactive thrombocytosis. Secondary thrombocytosis is more common than thrombocythemia.

Primary thrombocythemia is when the stem cells in your bone marrow that make platelets grow excessively. This can happen because of mutations in your genes that happen over time. You're more likely to have symptoms with thrombocythemia than with thrombocytosis. Symptoms include:

Redness or discoloration, warmth, and a tingling or burning sensation in your hands and feet (caused by blood clots in your small vessels)

Chest pain

Loss of vision or seeing spots and floaters

Headaches

Weakness

Dizziness

Bleeding, including nosebleeds, easy bruising, and bleeding from your gums and digestive tract

Secondary thrombocytosis is when an underlying disorder triggers the stem cells in your bone marrow to make more platelets. It's unlikely you'll have symptoms from secondary thrombocytosis.

Conditions that can cause secondary thrombocytosis include:

Inflammatory disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease

Certain cancers

Premature destruction of your red blood cells (hemolysis)

Iron deficiency

Sarcoidosis

Infections

Trauma

Surgery

Removal of your spleen

Excessive bleeding‌

Getting a Platelet Count

When to get a platelet count

You usually have a platelet count done as part of a complete blood count (CBC), which measures the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in your blood. Most doctors will order a CBC as part of your routine physical exam. But your doctor may order one specifically if you have symptoms, such as:

Uncontrolled bleeding from minor cuts 

Regular nosebleeds

Red or purple spots on the skin

Some factors that can affect your platelet levels include:

Altitude levels where you live

Physical activity

Certain medications 

Menstrual cycle

Platelet count preparation

There are no special requirements that you need to prepare for when you get a platelet count done. Since a platelet count is usually done as part of other blood testing, you may need to fast or limit your water intake. Your doctor can let you know if that's the case, but be sure to ask, especially if you take medicines every day. They may want you to wait to take your medicine until after the test.‌

Platelet count procedure

Platelet counts are relatively noninvasive and quick. Your provider will take a small blood sample from one of your veins and then put the sample in a tube or vial. This usually takes around five minutes.‌

There is very little that can go wrong in this test. At most, you might feel some pain and have minor bruising where the needle went in.

Platelet count results

You may get your platelet count results within a week. Depending on the procedure your doctor's office follows, you may get a letter with your results, or it may come to you through an online patient portal. On your lab report, you will see the number of platelets (PLT) in your blood, and you may also see the average size (called mean platelet volume or MPV).

Platelet count false readings

Occasionally, you could get a false result if your platelets stick together in a clump. The lab equipment that counts your blood cells can't count all the platelets in a clump, so the result will show fewer platelets than you actually have. ‌

Takeaways

Platelets are small cell fragments in your blood that help form blood clots to stop the bleeding when you're injured. You'll usually get a platelet count as part of a routine blood test called a complete blood count. Your platelet levels can be either lower or higher than normal. Abnormal platelet levels can cause symptoms such as too many blood clots or excessive bleeding, although you may not have any symptoms at all. Whether you need treatment and the type of treatment will depend on what is causing your low or high platelet counts and how it's affecting you.

Platelet Count FAQs

How do you raise your platelet levels when you have a low platelet count?

Treatment for low platelet levels depends on what caused it, the severity of your symptoms, and how much they affect your daily life. If your low platelet count is caused by a medicine you're taking, your doctor will likely change your prescription to a different one. That may be enough to raise your platelet levels. Your doctor can also try a few prescriptions to help raise your levels, such as:

If medicines don't work, your doctor may recommend a blood or platelet transfusion or surgery to remove your spleen (splenectomy), which may help raise your levels.