Risks and symptoms of ET
I don’t feel unwell, so why do I need to have treatment for my ET?
It is common not to have any symptoms from ET; at diagnosis, approximately 50% of people have no symptoms. Your doctor has prescribed your medication because they think that the risks caused by your high platelet count are greater than any possible side-effects you may experience from your medication.
What symptoms might I experience from ET?
High platelet counts can cause problems by making blood clot in the blood vessels. This can prevent blood reaching important parts of the body, and cause serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks, which can be associated with a reduction in quality of life. However, effective treatment of ET can reduce the risk of complications such as these.
Sometimes, platelets which are made by people with ET do not work properly, so even though you have lots of platelets it may still be difficult for the blood to clot. This means that you may experience an increased amount of bleeding when you cut yourself, or an increase in nose bleeds, or bleeds within your digestive system.
Other symptoms of ET can be caused by clotting and include headaches, blood clots in the legs and a pain in the hands or feet. If you think that you are developing these or any other symptoms it is very important that you tell your doctor.