Spleen enlargement--sometimes referred to as splenomegaly--occurs when a large number of red blood cells and platelets get trapped inside the spleen, causing it to grow to an abnormal size. According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, an...
Although it can grow well beyond its normal size, an enlarged spleen is not always obvious from the outside of the body. In fact, many people with an enlarged spleen have no additional symptoms and never realize their spleen has become inflamed....
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 liver and spleen share common blood circulation pathways. Due to the circulatory link between the liver and spleen, many disease processes affect both organs. Infections, blood cell diseases, liver diseases, cancer and inherited disorders can...
An enlarged spleen, known as a splenomegaly, can result from a variety of conditions including liver disease, cancers and infections, according to MayoClinic.com. A healthy spleen filters blood of old blood cells, produces white blood cells that...
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...
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....
The spleen is a small organ located in the left side of the abdomen below the stomach that serves vital functions in the body. It produces white blood cells that enable the body to fight infection, and it stores platelets that enable blood to...
Lyme disease is caused by the parasite Borrelia burgdorferi, which is carried by ticks. Humans develop Lyme disease after receiving a bite from an infected tick. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics usually cures the disease and removes...
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 problems range from mild to severe and life-threatening. One of the most common spleen-related problems is splenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen. According to MerckManuals.com, an enlarged spleen is indicative of an underlying health problem,...
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 soft organ on the left side of the abdomen that helps to filter used red blood cells out of the body. Although humans can survive without a spleen, our ability to fight off certain infections may be impaired without it. The spleen...
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 a small organ that is part of the immune system, helping the body to fight off infections. The spleen can become enlarged, ruptured or affected by disease, all of which can cause symptoms. If the symptoms are severe, the spleen is...
The spleen is an organ approximately the size of a fist and is located on the left side of the body, above the stomach and below the rib cage. There are two different types of tissue in the spleen that support biological functions. The white pulp...
Human blood contains three classifications of specialized cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The protein hemoglobin, the main component of red blood cells, carries oxygen throughout the body. Medications, conditions and...
An enlarged spleen and diminished spleen function are two common symptoms of several disorders, such as myeloproliferative disorders and amyloidosis, respectively. Nutrition to help prevent and reduce symptoms of these conditions may also provide...
Thalassemia refers to a type of blood disorder associated with decreased red blood cells and hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in blood. Symptoms of thalassemia include shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, irritability and a swollen...
Vegetables benefit your spleen because the nutrients in vegetables prevent disorders that cause splenomegaly, a condition that rarely presents symptoms other than an enlarged spleen, which your doctor may feel on an examination of your abdomen....
Malaria occurs when a mosquito infected with a parasite bites an individual, causing the person to have chills, a high fever and/or anemia. MedlinePlus states that a person may experience the first symptoms of malaria between 10 days to four weeks...
Hemolytic anemia, a medical condition which causes the premature destruction of red blood cells, can lead to cardiovascular collapse, heart disease and lung disease. One of the easiest ways to spot symptoms of hemolytic anemia is to check the...
The spleen is an important organ in the body that functions as part of the lymphatic system, which houses the body’s immune system, in defending the body against pathogens. It also functions in the filtration of red blood cells. Although the...
Abdominal pain, felt at some point by almost everyone, occurs as a symptom of many different diseases and disorders. The abdomen, which spans from the chest to the pelvis, contains the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, spleen,...
A lacerated spleen is a tear in the blood vessels leading to your spleen. Lacerations of your organs increase your risk of internal bleeding. Playing sports with a lacerated spleen could result in further damage, including internal bleeding and...
Spleen swelling or having an enlarged spleen, which is called splenomegaly, commonly is the result of an underlying condition. Splenomegaly can be caused by cancer, liver disease and infections, reports the Mayo Clinic. Typically, splenomegaly...
White blood cells play an important role in the immune system, scavenging the blood stream for viruses, bacteria and other foreign particles. The condition of having a low number of white blood cells, called neutropenia, has few symptoms but can...
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...
The spleen is located on the left upper side of the abdomen and helps the body fight infection. Because blood is always flowing through the spleen, a ruptured or torn spleen can result in significant blood loss. MayoClinic.com describes the...
Mononucleosis, the kissing disease, strikes mostly children and adolescents, resulting in fatigue, soreness, and fever. Learn more about mono in this health video.
