The mineral iron plays an important role in oxygen transport and helps regulate cell growth and division. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, approximately two-thirds of the iron in the body is found in red blood cells. Iron deficiency...
Several conditions, including liver problems, systemic infection and cancer, can cause an enlarged spleen, but the most common cause of an enlarged spleen is the virus mononucleosis, according to the textbook "Biology: Life on Earth With...
Enzymes are required for your body to digest nutrients from your diet. Food intolerance occurs when your body is unable to properly digest certain proteins from the food that you eat. Protein is made up of varying amounts of about 20 primary amino...
The liver, the largest organ inside the body, changes food into energy, removes toxins from the blood and produces bile, which aids in digestion. The spleen, part of the lymphatic system, fights infection and maintains the fluid balance in the...
The blood contains specialized cell types--white blood cells that help ward off infection, red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body and platelets that control blood thickness and clotting. Each of these blood cells...
Your liver helps produce urea, stores vitamins and minerals and aids in maintaining a steady level of glucose in the blood. When it becomes diseased, numerous health problems can arise. Fatty liver disease is one cause of hepatomegaly, but there...
When healthy, your spleen is a small organ about the size of a fist located on the left side of your abdomen. A spleen becomes enlarged due to several conditions. Although specific foods will not directly shrink a spleen, some of the conditions...
Spleen enlargement, or splenomegaly, is not actually a disorder but rather the symptomatic manifestation of different disorders such as repeated parasitic infections, certain metabolic disorders or cirrhosis of the liver. The treatment for an...
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...
Constant fatigue is defined by Mayo Clinic as chronic tiredness and weariness that results in a lack of energy and an inability to concentrate. Fatigue is accompanied by an intense lack of motivation and a strong desire to sleep, although sleep...
Following a special diet can aid in the treatment of a number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Polycythemia is a rare blood disorder that causes your body to over produce red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets....
The spleen acts as a filter for the blood, taking dysfunctional red blood cells out of the circulation and exposing the blood to the white blood cells of the immune system. As such, disorders of the spleen typically have an effect on the blood or...
The spleen is a small, fist-sized organ located below your left rib cage, and is a significant part of your body's immune system. It helps fight infection by producing white blood cells called lymphocytes as a defense against invading pathogens....
Blood consists of different types of cells with different functions. When activated, the blood cells known as thrombocytes, or platelets, stop internal bleeding by clumping together to plug leaks in blood vessels. Platelets are continuously...
The spleen is a small organ that filters the blood by removing old platelets and red blood cells. When the spleen becomes infected, enlarged or cancerous, a splenectomy is a common treatment. While exercise can speed up recovery time in the long...
The spleen is a fist-sized organ located under the ribcage. It serves as a blood reservoir capable of retaining up to 3 gallons of blood, according to MedlinePlus. The spleen also filters out unwanted materials such as bacteria and viruses from...
Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. A high number of red blood cells--more than 5.72 million red blood cells per mcL for men and 5.03 million per mcL for women--requires further evaluation, according to...
Hairy cell leukemia is a type of blood cancer that occurs when the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells called lymphocytes. Although hairy cell leukemia typically progresses very slowly, it can eventually lead to serious problems such as...
Porphyria was once called the vampire disease because people with the disease become sensitive to sunlight and develop blisters on their skin. Today, this condition is treated with a combination of a high carbohydrate diet and avoiding triggers,...
Platelets and white blood cells are two of the main blood cell types in the body. Abnormal levels of these cells can be a sign of illness, disease or complications. Thrombocytopenia, or a low platelet count, can have serious consequences because...
More commonly called the "kissing disease," mononucleosis is a virus that can cause fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and an enlarged spleen. Fatigue is also a symptom, making the virus a potential impediment for athletes. Because of splenic...
Overview Mononucleosis is a respiratory virus that affects the blood cells and salivary glands (glands responsible for producing saliva). Even though anyone can get mononucleosis, most people who get the illness are between the ages of 15...
Lung granulomas are clumps of chronically inflamed tissue usually caused by a fungal or bacterial infection. They can also form due to noninfectious diseases, or from irritation of lung tissue by a foreign body. Granulomas consist of clusters of...
Epidemic typhus is due to a bacterium called rickettsia and transmitted by the human body louse which lives on clothes and is found in places with poor sanitary conditions such as jails; hence, the disease is sometimes called "jail fever."...
Thalassemia, also known as Cooley's anemia or Mediterranean anemia, is a genetic disease in which the body has a problem creating hemoglobin. Hemoglobin helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body. The National...
Your spleen is an organ and a critical part of your lymphatic system. Your spleen is situated in your upper-left abdomen and helps your lymphatic system protect your body by warding off infections and clearing old red blood cells and foreign...
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a compound present naturally in all the living cells of your body. Its main function is to help to produce the energy for the cell by burning or oxidizing food. CoQ10 is gaining importance in the field of complementary...
While jaundice can affect individuals of all ages, it most often influences newborn infants. It refers to the yellow color of the skin and the sclera, whites of the eyes, which is caused by excessive bilirubin in the body. Bilirubin is a component...
