The spleen is one the body's most hardworking but underestimated organs. The spleen's ability to filter and store blood helps your body fight infection and disease. While a healthy spleen plays an important part in maintaining your health, it is possible to survive without the organ if it must be removed due to illness or injury.
Identification
The spleen is found in the upper left part of your abdomen just under your ribcage. The average healthy adult's spleen is about the size of a fist and approximately 5 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick, according to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. A healthy spleen weighs approximately 6 ounces, but the organ can balloon to 4 pounds due to infection or other conditions.
Storing and Filtering Blood
The spleen filters out old and damaged blood cells from your blood supply and destroys these unneeded cells. First, the spleen removes iron from the cells and returns it your blood supply. The spleen also acts as repository for extra blood and platelets, the part of the blood needed to form clots at the site of an injury. KidsGrowth.com reports that the spleen reacts to sudden blood loss by contracting, forcing replacement blood into circulation. During the last few months of a pregnancy, the spleen produces red blood cells for the growing fetus.
Fighting Infection
The spleen works with your lymphatic system to fight off infection. The lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes, ducts and organs that circulate and drain lymph, a fluid that helps the body maintain an optimum fluid balance and fight disease. When a virus, parasite or bacterium enters your bloodstream, the spleen and lymph nodes create lymphocytes, white blood cells that make proteins called antibodies that kill invading organisms. The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reports that antibodies and white blood cells also stop infections from spreading through the body by trapping germs and destroying them.
Spleen Problems
Illness or injury can damage the spleen. In some cases, spleen damage is so severe that the spleen must be removed. Illnesses that can affect the spleen include sickle cell anemia, liver disease, malaria, blood diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, fungal infections and mononucleosis. An enlarged spleen is the main complication of mononucleosis, according to FamilyDoctor.org. If mononucleosis causes the spleen to grow too large, it may rupture and need to be removed.
Living Without a Spleen
When the spleen is removed, the liver and lymphatic systems take over the the usual spleen functions, but there is an increased risk of infection, according to KidsGrowth.com. Vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia can help compensate for your body's reduced ability to fight disease. Taking antibiotics, either daily or as needed, can also help reduce complications from illness.
Member Comments