You may have an abnormally low number of platelets in your blood if your bone marrow doesn’t produce enough or if you have an increased breakdown of blood platelets in your bloodstream, spleen or liver, according to MedlinePlus. Because platelets help clot your blood, you are susceptible to problems such as bruising, nosebleeds, gum bleeds and rashes when you don’t have enough platelets. Extra treatment may be needed in some cases, but you may also boost your platelet count by adapting your diet.
Low sodium levels, or hyponatremia, occur in a wide variety of medical disorders including cancer. You need to recognize that the symptoms of hyponatremia, appropriate blood testing and timely treatment all play a role in the a...
The blood platelets in your body keep you from bleeding to death when you sustain a cut or laceration. These tiny, colorless entities stick together to form blood clots in the presence of oxygen. Your physician may advise you t...
During chemotherapy, your total blood count may drop as a side effect of treatment. Anemia, or a significantly decreased number of red blood cells, can be alleviated by following a balanced diet that emphasizes protein and cert...
A low blood count, also known as reduced red blood cell volume or anemia, is a common health problem, especially among seniors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 19 percent of nursing home residents suf...
Among its healing tools are platelets, cell fragments that play a vital role in blood clotting. Normal human platelet counts range between 150,000 and 400,000 per microliter of circulating blood, according to MedlinePlus. If yo...
A low blood count, also known as anemia, is a lower than usual number of red blood cells in your body. Anemia is particularly common among older individuals. The National Anemia Action Council states about 10 percent of adults ...
Iron is an essential mineral necessary for the transportation of oxygen throughout your body. Iron is also needed to support cell growth and development. Up to 80 percent of the world's population is iron deficient, according t...
If you have a low blood count you will have a reduced number of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in your body, according to MayoClinic.com. White blood cells help ward off infection, while red blood cells delive...
Having a low blood count can trigger a variety of health conditions including anemia. It can also be caused by some conditions, like cancer. To ward off a low blood count, eat foods high in iron. The iron in your diet stimulate...
Hyponatremia refers to a dangerously low sodium level in the fluid surrounding your body's cells. Your body needs sodium, an electrolyte, for numerous critical life functions, including nervous system and muscle actions. Hypona...
Both creatinine and BUN counts provide an overall picture of a person's kidney function. Low levels are generally a good thing, while high levels can indicate varying degrees of kidney problems. A few lifestyle changes as well ...
A necessary element throughout life, iron helps make hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen. After an infant uses up his stored iron, he must get iron from foods. If iron stores fall too low, a child dev...
A low blood cell count can refer to three different components in your blood. According to MayoClinic.com, when doctors check your blood cell count they look for white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. All have differ...
A total blood protein level represents the sum of all these different proteins and the fine balance between protein synthesis and loss that is constantly taking place in your body. A wide variety of medical conditions can lead ...
Commonly referred to as a complete blood count, or CBC, this test is ordered to determine if anemia, or low blood count, is present. Anemia is the end result of many medical disorders including cancers such as leukemia, malnutr...
Vitamin B-12 also helps keep your nerves healthy, allowing nerve impulses to travel efficiently. A low B-12 count occurs when the body does not contain enough of the water-soluble vitamin B-12 to adequately carry out its functi...
Under normal conditions, the number of cells in your bloodstream, generically known as your "blood count," remains relatively constant. Furthermore, the blood counts of all healthy people fall within a fairly narrow range. Your...
A low protein count in the blood can be detected through a blood test. Low protein counts can indicate a variety of diseases or disorders such as kidney or liver disorders, and will likely require additional testing after the i...
Your blood count -- the number of red blood cells in your body -- depends on many factors, including the foods you eat. If you are a patient with anemia, or a low blood count, consuming foods with a high iron content will allow...
If your physician tests you for hCG and your levels are low, that can mean any one of a number of things, some of which are normal and others of which may be abnormal.
Maintaining a strong blood count is important for overall health. A shortage of red blood cells can cause anemia. Eating foods that contain iron is important to maintain strength in the body and to stabilize blood count levels....
Your body needs protein, iron and eight B vitamins in order to form red blood cells. Women's health depends more heavily on these nutrients to maintain an adequate blood count, due to the demands of menstruation and the child-b...
Numerous conditions can cause low iron levels in a low blood count and weight loss. According to Dr. Dicken Weatherby, a naturopathic physician and author of the textbook "Blood Chemistry and CBC Analysis," total serum iron--th...
A CBC is a common blood test to diagnose and monitor a variety of medical conditions. There are many diseases and conditions that can cause a low CBC, of which some are mild and easily treated, and others may be severe and pote...
Protein is made up of amino acids and is used to generate energy. Protein also plays a role in the production and maintenance of muscles, connective tissues, hair, skin, nails, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, proper fluid balanc...
A complete blood count, or CBC, includes counts of the formed blood elements along with other measurements that help doctors interpret test results. Many diseases and medical conditions can cause a low red blood cell, white blo...
The technical term for low blood count is myelosuppression and it simply means blood levels are being suppressed. It can be caused by numerous factors, including treatments for cancer that directly affect bone marrow. Bone marr...
A complete blood count is performed to determine abnormalities in the different types of blood cells in order to intervene with the appropriate medical treatment. Each kind of blood cell count can drop due to different factors ...
The bone marrow is the center of production of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. WBCs fight infections, RBCs carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets cause the blood to clot to prevent bleeding. Healthy bo...
Vitamin D occurs naturally in few foods; most people obtain adequate vitamin D from sunlight exposure, the National Institutes of Health report. Some foods are also fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency, defined as blo...
The Mayo Clinic defines thrombocytopenia as the clinical term for having a low blood platelet count. Platelets are a type of cell that circulates in the bloodstream throughout the body. They perform a crucial function by clumpi...
Neonatal thrombocytopenia refers to a low number of platelets in a baby's blood. According to the book, "Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice," having a platelet count of fewer than 150,000 cells is abnormally low. When d...
White blood cells help make up the immune system and protect the body from infection. Red blood cells bind to oxygen from the lungs and distribute oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Platelets respond to blood vessel injury ...
There are many possible reasons for a low blood count, and several may coexist in one person. The primary test for blood counts called a complete blood count, or CBC, measures the concentration of red cells, white cells and pla...
A normal red blood cell count depends on a matched balance between production and loss. Abnormal losses through bleeding or premature destruction, or decreased red blood cell production can cause a low blood count--a condition ...
Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein in the blood that carries oxygen throughout the body. When a person has a low hemoglobin level, he may feel weak, tired, dizzy or cold. A low count indicates a reduction in either the nu...
The human body keeps blood sodium concentration in a tight range of 135 to 145 meq/L. According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, low blood sodium, or hyponatremia, is defined as a sodium level less than 135 meq/L....
Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are blood cells that are essential for many normal functions of the body, such as blood clotting. According to the Mayo Clinic, low blood platelets, or thrombocytopenia, means a person does...
Thrombocytopenia refers to a condition in which your body does not have enough platelets, substances needed to clot blood. Low platelet counts can result in easy bleeding or bruising. Sometimes, certain drugs can cause this, or...
Thrombocytopenia, the medical term for a low blood platelet count, occurs when blood platelets die faster than they're reproduced. According to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy count ranges between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets for e...
The term low blood count can refer to white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets. While low blood counts are often the temporary result of a treatable illness, low levels of blood cells can indicate a serious medical cond...
