Purple is the process of staining a patient’s skin or mucous surface due to the release of red blood cells from blood vessels or capillaries. This disease can be of several types. It arises as a result of various provoking factors, is accompanied by symptoms, which will depend on the type of pathology. It is diagnosed in both children and adults. After a thorough examination, treatment is prescribed, and folk remedies can be used.
Causes of occurrence
Purple results from many triggering factors. To establish the cause of the disease, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination. The main provocateurs of skin pathology include the following:
- An increased tendency of the patient to bleed, which is associated with a violation of blood coagulation.
- Infectious diseases, including HIV infection.
- Acceptance of certain groups of medicines.
- The consequence of an allergic reaction of the body.
- Violation of the blood coagulation process, which was triggered by exposure to any toxic substances.
- Vascular diseases and pathologies that are inflammatory in nature.
- Stagnant processes in the blood.
- Subcooling or overheating.
- Surgical intervention.
- Injuries received.
Purple is a disease that can occur as a result of the appearance of blood clots in the veins, due to weight lifting, severe coughing, during attempts at childbirth and for other reasons.
Classification
In modern medicine, several types of purpura are distinguished. This pathology can be either of a congenital hereditary nature, or acquired, that is, it occurs as a result of infection or a disease. The most common types of purpura are thrombocytopenic, rheumatoid, toxic, hemorrhagic, immune and complex.
The disease is first diagnosed in childhood. In the older age category, purpura is observed in most cases in the female half of the population.
Thrombocytopenic purpura is a common pathology, which can be of several types, depending on the course and duration. It can be attributed to an acute, chronic and recurrent form. According to clinical signs, this violation is dry and wet. In this case, the patient will have severe symptoms. Also, subspecies such as thrombotic, vascular and idiopathic purpura belong to the thrombocytopenic type of the disease.
Thrombocytopenic purpura in a child
This type of pathology takes first place among hemorrhagic pathologies. Most often diagnosed in girls under the age of 13 years. If purpura of this species occurs in a child under two years of age, it has a severe course, begins acutely and is not accompanied by an infectious disease. Vaccinations can provoke thrombocytopenic purpura in a child, especially BCG.
The idiopathic type of purpura in children is accompanied by pronounced symptoms, hemorrhage and bleeding are noted, which is located in the area of the mucous surface of the nose and gingival tissue. In girls during puberty, profuse uterine bleeding can occur.
Also, the idiopathic subspecies of the disease in children and adolescents can provoke a hemorrhagic syndrome, which is dangerous with frequent bleeding in the nasal mucosa, hemorrhages in the joint tissue and skin, as well as gastrointestinal bleeding.
Symptoms with thrombocytopenic form
Each type of disease is accompanied by certain signs that help with the diagnosis. This pathology in most cases affects the lower extremities, at first the color of purple is red, burgundy, then it becomes more pronounced. After 7-10 days, the affected areas acquire a bright color with a yellow tint.
With a thrombotic thrombocytopenic form, the patient at the initial stage has platelet microtrombi, which spread throughout the body through small vessels. In this case, damage to the brain, kidneys, liver can be observed, blood flow is disturbed, cells and tissues suffer. This form has an acute onset and progresses rapidly. It is diagnosed in patients of a young age.
Thrombocytopenic purpura is accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Low platelet count in the blood.
- Hemolytic anemia.
- Neurological changes.
- Impaired kidney function.
- Fever.
If the first signs of the disease occur, you should immediately seek qualified help.
Symptoms in other forms of the disease
Allergic purpura is a disease that affects the circulatory system in young patients. The specific symptoms of this type of pathology have not been identified by specialists, but it is worth noting that the child will experience changes in ESR, which are prone to vasculitis.
Pigmentary chronic purpura has the following symptoms characteristic of it:
- Erythema.
- Pigmentation in the body and hemorrhages of varying degrees, depending on the level of damage to the walls of the vessels.
- Itching
This form has a recurring nature and each time takes up more space, and the rash becomes brighter.
Hemorrhagic purpura is characterized by a rash that can be confused with rashes during diathesis, but differs in that the spots gradually merge into large formations. Dark purple can be noted on the lower extremities, sometimes on the body. With this type of disease, only a rash is considered the only sign.
Diagnostics
If the patient does not have the main signs of the disease, such as bleeding and hemorrhage, then the specialist is at a loss when making a diagnosis. In such a situation, pathology can be confused with vascular abnormalities of the skin.
Diagnosis of purpura is based on clinical and hematological findings. First of all, the patient needs to be carefully examined, attention is also paid to hardware and laboratory examination.
It is recommended to take tests such as:
- General clinical and biochemical blood test.
- Urea test.
- General clinical analysis of urine.
To accurately diagnose, the specialist also conducts differential diagnosis. Compares the patient’s symptoms with the signs of such pathologies as hemolytic uremic syndrome, purpura hemolytic, microangiopathic and hepatorenal syndrome. Based on the obtained research data, the patient is prescribed treatment, which in most cases has a positive effect. To know exactly what purple looks like, photos can be viewed on specialized medical sites and in our article.
Treatment
Treatment is prescribed exclusively by a specialist after a thorough examination. Do not engage in self-treatment, as this can lead to negative consequences and a deterioration in the general condition. Therapy can be medication, if necessary, surgery is performed, alternative recipes can be used as auxiliary agents.
The patient is prescribed such groups of drugs:
- Glucocorticosteroids.
- Immunoglobulins.
- Interferon alfa.
- Alkaloids of a pink periwinkle.
The dosage and period of taking the medicine will depend on the neglect of the situation.
If the patient has bleeding, it is recommended to use hemostatic drugs, as well as aminocaproic acid. Surgical intervention is based on the removal of the spleen and is prescribed only if conservative treatment has not yielded a positive result. If vascular purple has been diagnosed, then the patient should adhere to a hypoallergenic diet.
Preventive actions
To avoid problems in childhood and adolescence, it is recommended to pay more attention to health, especially with severe infectious diseases. In such a situation, you must constantly be under the supervision of a specialist, especially the first few years and conduct preventive examinations.
To exclude the recurrence of purpura, the emphasis should be on avoiding infection with viral infections and preventing bacterial diseases. It is also necessary to be as little as possible influenced by direct sunlight, and it is better to completely eliminate them. Do not freeze often.
In addition, the prevention of purpura consists in the timely elimination of foci of infection, such as caries, tonsillitis and others. If the patient is at risk of developing the disease, it is recommended to regularly undergo examinations, take all tests and, at the first manifestations of the disease, immediately seek qualified help, do not engage in self-treatment.