- Some common causes of high platelet levels in the blood include the elimination of the spleen (generally due to removal surgery), iron-deficiency anemia, medication reactions, cancer, hemolytic anemia, and infectious or inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, connective tissue problems, as well as tuberculosis.
- There are also several factors that are possible causes for high platelet levels that are short-lived. These different conditions are acute inflammation or infection, recovering from an extreme blood loss, recovering from extremely low levels of blood platelets due to extreme alcohol consumption and deficiencies of folate or Vitamin B12, and reactions to vigorous physical activity.
- High platelet counts often occur due to an underlying medical condition. Many people with thrombocytosis also have cancer, especially ovarian gastrointestinal, ovarian and lymphoma. In many cases, high platelet counts are considered to be an initial cancerous sign.
- Some people might be at a significantly higher risk of developing high platelet levels within the blood. These people include those who have recently undergone any type of surgical procedure, and those who have iron-deficiency anemia.
- There are no real signs or symptoms that are commonly associated with high platelet levels. As a result, most people are generally unaware of this medical condition until they undergo a blood test. It is important to receive these regular tests, as high platelet counts can sometimes be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as thrombocythemia (a disorder of the bone marrow).
