When I first found out I had ITP and begun to understand the seriousness of my condition I went straight into defense mode. I put a bubble around me and was determined not to put myself in any danger. For me this took its toll and actually made me over anxious and really depressed. Like where do you stop – I can slip on tiles tomorrow and that could be the end (a little dramatic I know but depending on how low my levels are this could potentially happen). Trust me being over protective only causes more stress on an already kind of stressful situation. I’m not saying don’t be cautious, I’m just saying don’t let fear stop you from living you fullest life.
For those whom have ITP sport can come at a risk and you have to do a risk assessment on the sport vs. your platelet count. It’s always best to consult with your doctor and come up with a good game plan if you still wish to play sports.
Below is my general rule of thumb for me;
If you’re platelet count is above 75,000 I’d say you are safe to play basically majority of sports however you always need to keep in mind that your counts can change from day to day. So one day you may be 76,000 the next you may drop to 18,000 (this can happen especially if you happen to catch a virus like the common flu). So always keep that in mind and know your warning signs.
If you’re platelet count is below 60,000 – This is when things start to get real. If your platelet count is below 60,000 you are at risk of bleeding after trauma. This kind of rules out those much loved contact sports like football, rugby, AFL, karate, boxing etc.
If you’re platelet count is below 30,000 – You really need to consider sports like jogging. Something you can do for you but doesn’t involve obstacles and opponents.
If you’re platelet count is below 20,000 – I suppose the responsible answer here is no sports at all. Best to get those levels back up to a safe zone before putting yourself at risk.
To learn more about your bleeding risks read my blog post What is ITP ;)