Yes, flu can lower blood platelet levels. Viral diseases, such as influenza, dengue, AIDS, hepatitis C, yellow fever, among others, are common causes in low platelets in adults.
However, although platelets may be low in the flu, they are not as low as in the dengue, for example, where the platelet levels and much more accentuated.
At platelets are the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. If the platelet count is very low, as in dengue, there is a risk of bleeding (dengue hemorrhagic fever).
Those bleeding can be simple and occur only in the nose and on gum, or visible, visible on the urine, faeces and vomit, and may lead to death.
However, in influenza, although the platelet level may be lower than normal, the fall is not accentuated enough to cause bleeding.
Read too:
What causes low platelets?
What to do in case of low platelets?
Cases of low platelets should be evaluated by a hematologist.
