The spleen helps protect the body against infection through the production of red blood cells and removal of damaged blood components or pathogens from the blood. A traumatic injury or certain types of infection, such as mononucleosis, can damage...
The spleen is an organ in the body that helps control the amount of blood in the body, destroys old or damaged blood cells, and contains white blood cells that fight infection. According to MayoClinic.com, a ruptured spleen occurs when the spleen...
The spleen is an organ in the upper left side of your abdomen, under your rib cage. It has primary function in maintenance of the health of your blood. Its size is correlated to age, and tends to increase in children as they age. In children aged...
Upper abdominal pain accompanied by back pain occurs for a multitude of reasons, due to the large number of organs found in and near the upper abdomen. Causes range from annoying to life-threatening, so medical followup, especially for severe...
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...
Sickle cell anemia, an inherited disorder of red blood cells, is a lifelong disease that can cause serious complications in those who have it. The disorder occurs because of malformed red blood cells caused by deformed hemoglobin molecules. These...
The spleen is an internal organ located in the upper left part of your abdomen, under your diaphragm and behind the stomach. It looks like a small rounded catcher's mitt with several notches on it, according to the Children's Hospital of...
The spleen is an organ located behind the rib cage area of the human body. Its primary function is to aid the immune system as well as aid with blood supply. The spleen's job is to remove old red blood cells known as erythrocytes, while it removes...
The spleen is an organ with an important role for both the immune system and the blood. Immune cells develop and replicate in the spleen. In addition, the spleen is responsible for removing old and damaged cells from the blood. If the spleen...
Sickle cell anemia is a disease in which red blood cells are shaped like sickles and get stuck in small blood vessels. This clogs blood vessels and prevents organs from getting adequate nutrients and oxygen. A patient with sickle cell anemia may...
Physical trauma or infection complications can cause damage to the spleen, a small organ that sits below the ribcage on the left side of the body. Injury to or rupture of the spleen can cause significant internal bleeding, a medical emergency that...
According to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, 70,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from sickle-cell disease, with 1,000 babies born with the condition each year. People suffering from sickle-cell disease produce an...
Your spleen helps your body to fight off infection. It also regulates the amount of fluid, including blood, that circulates in your body. In addition, it is responsible for destroying damaged cells in the body. You do not need a spleen to survive...
When you're pregnant, you must take special care not to ingest substances that can harm your growing baby or have negative effects on the pregnancy. Ashwagandha, an Ayurvedic herb used in traditional Indian medicine and sometimes called Indian...
Skullcap is a term used to refer to two different herbs. American skullcap, or Scutellaria lateriflora, is an herb native to North America, and is used as a tranquilizer and sedative, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center....
Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that affects every organ and system of the body. It is mainly characterized by sickle or C-shaped erythrocytes--red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are round or doughnut-shaped with an indentation...
A rib fracture, or broken rib, usually occurs as the result of trauma to the rib cage or illnesses that weaken the bones. An accident, cancer, osteoporosis, contact sports or weight-bearing activities such as weight lifting are common causes of a...
Sickle cell anemia is a recessive genetic disease that cannot be prevented or cured. This disease results in the body producing abnormal hemoglobin, the iron-rich and oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells or erythrocytes. Due to the defective...
Meningitis is a condition in which the meninges, which is a layer of tissue around the central nervous system, becomes inflamed. Meningitis can be caused by viral and bacterial infections. There is a vaccine for one form of bacterial meningitis,...
The Epstein-Barr virus, a member of the herpes family, causes mononucleosis, an infection common in childhood and young adulthood. Around 95 percent of Americans have antibodies to EBV by age 40, indicating past exposure, according to the Centers...
Sickle cell disease interferes with hemoglobin production, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen, and causes red blood cells to change shape. The altered shape resembles a sickle or letter C. The abnormal red blood cells die early,...
Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body. In people afflicted with sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are rigid, sticky and shaped like crescent moons rather than rounded discs. These characteristics make sickle cells inefficient...
Mono is lay terminology for a virus called mononucleosis. This virus originates from the Epstein-Barr virus and usually incubates for a month before you experience illness. It is sometimes called "the kissing disease" because the virus is only...
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited condition that causes red blood cells (erythrocytes) to "sickle," or become C-shaped. This disease affects all major organs and body systems because they all rely on the blood to deliver essential nutrients and...
The spleen sits directly above the stomach and under the ribs on the left side. It is approximately the size of a fist and is part of the lymphatic system, according to Medline Plus. The lymphatic system fights infection and keeps body fluids in...
Anemia is a condition in which there aren't enough red blood cells in the bloodstream to carry an adequate amount of oxygen to cells throughout the body. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited form. Red blood cells are normally round and flexible, but...
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disease in which red blood cells, which are normally round, become crescent or sickle-shaped under low oxygen conditions. In this condition, sickle cells are not only abnormally-shaped but also fragile and...
Many people turn to chicken as a healthy alternative to red meat because of its lower fat content, but chicken can also cause health problems. In 2009, "Consumer Reports" found that 66 percent of chicken it tested was contaminated with either...
The spleen is a small organ within the abdomen that helps the body fight off infectious pathogens. If the spleen is damaged following a traumatic injury or an extensive infection, it can burst or rupture. Without prompt medical treatment, a burst...
Abdominal trauma can be very painful and is often caused by auto accidents and contact sports. Learn how to treat abdominal injuries in this health video.
