Symptoms of ET

You’re more likely to have symptoms if you are older or have a very high number of platelets in your blood. These are some of the more common symptoms:

• headaches
• dizziness
• visual changes (often called light shows or silent migraines)
• difficulty concentrating
• tiredness (fatigue)
• bruising or bleeding, such as nose bleeds, blood in your poo or heavy periods
• pain in your stomach area (abdomen)
• burning pain, most commonly in the feet, but possibly in the hands, arms, legs, ears or face. Lighter skin tones may also look red in these areas.

You won’t have all of these symptoms but if you have one or more that you can’t explain, then talk to your GP, or your hospital team, if you have already been referred to a specialist department.

Some people with ET also suffer from itchy skin. Read our page on itching for more information about this, including self-help tips.

One of the most important things to know about ET is that it can cause thrombosis, or blood clots. This is a serious health condition, so it’s important to know what to look out for. The symptoms will vary depending on where the clot is, but they include:

• slurred speech
• weakness on one side of the body
• drooping on one side of your face
• sudden chest pain, dizziness and feeling short of breath
• one leg or arm becoming painful, swollen and warm
• coughing up blood
• sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
• sudden pain in the stomach area, possibly with swelling and signs of jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes, and yellowish skin in people with lighter skin tones).

If you have one or more of these symptoms, it’s a medical emergency. Call 999 and get medical help straight away.