The second type of blood cell is called a platelet. Whenever you are cut or have a break in your skin, platelets have the important job of traveling to the area and forming a clot or scab to stop the bleeding. Platelets also prevent you from bleeding even when you are not cut. They prevent blood from leaking out of the very tiny vessels in your body called capillaries.
Meet PLATE and LET, the Platelet brothers.
They stick together whenever there's bleeding going on!
Together they form the clot that stops the bleeding
They also line the walls of our tiny blood vessels called capillaries to prevent us from having blood leak out of them even when we are not injured.
Now the cut can heal!
What can happen with a low Platelet Count?
The risk of bleeding is serious when the Platelet Count drops to below 20,000. You can bruise easily, develop nosebleeds, bleed from your gums, or bleed from blood draws or IV sticks. The most dangerous area where you could bleed is within your brain. This is an EMERGENCY!! When the platelet count drops below 20,000, your doctor will decide if a platelet transfusion should be given to you.
Signs of a low platelet count:
Petechiae are small red dots that can appear anywhere on the skin when your platelets are low.
They are a sign that the tiny blood vessels called capillaries do not have enough platelets to prevent blood from leaking out. Babies and younger children can develop them around their eyes if they have been crying hard.