IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA PURPURA (ITP)

ITP is an autoimmune disease where platelets are recognised as foreign, so the immune system attacks and destroys them leaving people who suffer from ITP with a low platelet count. Platelets circulate in the bloodstream and are extremely important in blood clotting to stop bleeding and bruising. This process is essential after an accident or injury to stop a bleed from becoming life-threatening.

People who suffer from ITP are susceptible to random bleeding (especially in the nose and gums), bruising, and petechiae (red/purple spots on the skin). Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms, leaving most ITP sufferers exhausted after having done very little, which affects what they can do every day. In some cases, people with ITP can develop life-threatening bleeds, for example in the brain, which can be fatal.

There are some treatments available to manage ITP; however, there is no cure. In cases of serious, life-threatening bleeding, people may require a transfusion to stop a bleed before it becomes fatal. People with ITP may also require a platelet transfusion to increase their platelet count before certain surgeries, particularly those of an urgent nature, such as having your appendix removed.