Managing your meds & definitions

[Guest guest]

I was curious about the broken blood vessels and ecchymosis in my skin and this

is what my research found, so I am sharing it in the event you have the same

problems.

ttp://cancer.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/tp/managemeds.htm

http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/bleeding-into-the-skin

Bleeding under the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny

pinpoint red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in

larger flat areas (called purpura), or in a very large bruised area (called an

ecchymosis). Pinpoint red spots on the skin are called Petechiae. Petechiae,

purpura, and ecchymosis do not become pale (blanch) with pressure. The redness

of erythema decreases and then returns when you apply and then release pressure

to it.

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is a bleeding disorder characterized by too

few platelets in the blood. This is because platelets are being destroyed by the

immune system. Idiopathic means the exact cause of the disease is unknown.

These things happen when immune system cells, called lymphocytes, produce

antibodies against platelets. Platelets are necessary for normal blood clotting.

They clump together to plug small holes in damaged blood vessels.

Nosebleeds are very common. Most nosebleeds occur because of minor irritations

or colds. They can be frightening for some patients, but are rarely life

threatening. The nose contains many tiny blood vessels that bleed easily. Air

moving through the nose can dry and irritate the membranes lining the inside of

the nose, forming crusts. These crusts bleed when irritated by rubbing, picking,

or blowing the nose.

The prothrombin time test belongs to a group of blood tests that assess the

clotting ability of blood. The test is also known as the pro time or PT test.

The PT test is used to monitor patients taking certain medications as well as to

help diagnose clotting disorders. The normal prothrombin time is 11-15 seconds,

although there is some variation depending on the source of the thromboplastin

used in the test. (For this reason, laboratories report a normal control value

along with patient results.) A prothrombin time within this range indicates that

the patient has normal amounts of clotting factors VII and X. Blood clots are

the clumps that result from coagulation of the blood (blood hardens to from

liquid to solid). A blood clot that forms in a blood vessel or within the heart

and remains there is called a thrombus. A thrombus that travels from the blood

vessel or heart to another location in the body is called an embolus, and the

disorder, an embolism. For example, an embolus that occurs in the lungs is

called a pulmonary embolism.

Blessings,

Lottie