How can one prevent Thrombocytopenia?

Thrombocytopenia refers to an abnormally low level of platelets in the blood. Platelets are made by the bone marrow, and help your blood to clot. People with thrombocytopenia may experience excessive bleeding.

Thrombocytopenia can occur alone, or can develop as a complication of another disease, such as cancer or a viral infection. In some cases, thrombocytopenia becomes a chronic (long-lasting) condition that persists for years.

Prevention

Many cases of thrombocytopenia cannot be prevented. The following measures can help you cut the risk of developing the medical condition.

Avoid Excess Alcohol - Abstain from alcohol or avoid drinking alcohol in large amounts to lower your risk of developing thrombocytopenia.

Keep Track of Sensitivity to Medications - If you already have had one episode of drug-induced thrombocytopenia, there is a good chance the problem will return if you take the same medication again. To help prevent this, be sure to record the name of the specific medication that caused the problem. Tell every health care professional that you visit about your sensitivity to this drug.

Dietary Changes - You need to make slight changes to your diet, mainly to eliminate processed and sugary foods. You can swap these with whole and unprocessed food. Eat a well-rounded diet that has a variety of fruits and vegetables. Include leafy green vegetables in your everyday diet. They are high in Vitamin K, calcium and other minerals that are known to help blood to clot. You have to be careful when eating protein. Choose lean protein or white fish, whole grains and beans and some nuts; these are low in saturated fats.

Cook with Healthy Oils - Sesame oil, olive oil and canola oil are a better alternative than saturated fats, which are often used to fry foods. Moreover, you must cook your vegetables lightly. Lightly cooked food is easy for body to digest and when whole foods are digested properly, you get more nutrients.

If your doctor has determined that you are at risk of developing thrombocytopenia, he or she may tell you not to take aspirin because it impairs platelet function.

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