31 Facts You Might Not Know About ITP

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  1. It is no longer called idiopathic.  The Idiopathic part of the name has been dropped. It’s just Immune Thrombocytopenia now.
  2. So has the Purpura. It’s gone too. It’s just Immune Thrombocytopenia now.
  3. ITP is not always caused by an over active immune system as many people believe but sometimes it is caused by a dysfunctional immune system.
  4. In some cases, ITP has been successfully cured with Vitamin D treatments – Article ( Case study from the Vitamin D Council)
  5. Your body actually may not be producing enough platelets – instead of just killing them all.
  6. With ITP patients, the platelets you do have work really well.  This is because the platelets in your system are young – offering normal to advanced function – MediPubication – Platelet Function in ITP
  7. Having a low platelet count will effect your ability to have an epidural (be awake) during cesarian sections while delivering babies.
  8. You can get ITP from Rubella or ‘German Measles’
  9. Acute ITP can occur after any viral infection.
  10. People can donate just platelets with a plateletpheresis machine.
  11. ITP is an growing investment industry with Apheresis equipment market worth will be $2, 885, 000, 000 by 2020.
  12. ITP can lower your life expectancy by up to 20 years.
  13. Directly exposing a bruise to Vitamin D through sunshine will speed up the healing process.
  14. ITP is twice as likely to occur in women than men
  15. Having ITP will effect the validity of your travel insurance policy.
  16. Taking Immune Suppressants will effect the validity of your travel insurance policy.
  17. You can drink alcohol if you have ITP.
  18. Every year there is an international ITP Conference held in America by the PDSA.
  19. Australia has an International ITP Register for people newly diagnosed with ITP, which is used for research and information purposes.
  20. ITP was discovered by Dr. William Harrington in 1945, while caring for a young woman with ITP who died from haemorrhage.
  21. ITP can be caused by some childhood Vaccines.
  22. Having ITP does not effect your chances of getting pregnant or having a baby.
  23. ITP does effect your choices and decisions during the pregnancy and delivery of your child.
  24. 20 % of all ITP Patients have Secondary ITP as a result of another Disease or Autoimmune disorder.
  25. 5% of all pregnancies will develop Gestational Thrombocytopenia.
  26. ITP was one of the first Autoimmune disorders to ever be discovered.  It was one of the first discoveries of antibodies attacking the bodies own tissue.
  27. There is a free smart phone app that has been developed specifically for ITP Patients called ITP Tracker.
  28. ITP Awareness day is held on the 26th of September every year internationally.
  29. The Instagram Hashtag for people suffering from ITP id #itpawareness #platelets.
  30. You are able to choose your own treatment plan for ITP.
  31. You can decide which specialist you see about your ITP.

by Meg

Meghan Brewster is a writer and blogger. She is an ITP patient and launched ITP&Me in 2011. She is a coffee lover and a try hard dancer. @meghan_brewster

7 thoughts on “31 Facts You Might Not Know About ITP

    • Meg says:

      That is wonderful news! Everything you need to know about contributing your story can be found here – http://itpandme.com/contribute-your-story-here/.

      Write to us at itp.and.me.g@gmail.com, and tell us about yourself and how you were diagnosed.
      How you were feeling before you was diagnosed & how it feels when your platelets drop?
      What is your Sleep / Exercise / Appetite / Mood like with ITP?
      How your life has changed since your diagnosis?
      any Fears / Worries / Future plans you may have for your treatment or illness.
      Tell us how you deal with ‘being sick’.

  1. lmdsmith@hotmail.com'
    Laura says:

    I was eager to read this post, however was disheartened that you have lumped all ITP’ers seemingly into one category. Especially in such a frail, yet diverse research subject, it would be helpful to quote your sources.

  2. genealgurl@gmail.com'
    Sherry Ottmann says:

    Not confirmed by my present physicians yet because the records are lost in time…but I had this disease when I was about 8 years old which would have been 1952. My father took me to specialists in Kearney NE, a building which was converted from an old TB hospital on the west side of town. They took large samples of blood a couple of times a week for over a several week period, but could not figure out what was wrong with me. I was pale, and quite thin even though I ate like a horse! I was weak and lacked the strength to participate in much of anything at that time. I remember hearing them tell my father to just take me to a warmer climate in hopes that it would help. Little did they know, it was the beginning of a marvelous adventure and a miraculous “cure” for whatever ailed me. The family piled into the car and we headed south to Florida. When we reached Miami Beach, it was overcast and CLOSED. While the folks were talking to the Caretaker about WHY it was closed, I wandered down the beach because I could! I discovered a beautiful mess of seaweed washed up on the sand with these fantastic iridescent colored bubbles. I wandered into the morass to get a closer look as I was a little near-sighted. I recall the flash of something over my head that resembled a silver lasso. When that lasso touched both of my arms, I woke up the rest of Dade County! Although I was in a lot of pain for a while, my BLOOD PROBLEM which did not have a name then…simply went away and has never reared its ugly head again. I celebrated my 73rd birthday last August. I looked at the symptoms on this page and could relate to some of them. I remember having German Measles and DEFINITELY know that Gibbon NE,
    where we lived, was bombarded regularly with DDT outside to control the mosquito population for several years.

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