Your spleen is located behind your stomach and below your rib cage. As the largest organ of your lymphatic system, it filters blood as it circulates through the body. It is actually a critical part of your immune system. Combined with your lymph nodes, the spleen fights infections and prevents disease by removing cellular waste and other toxins from the bloodstream.
The spleen also regulates the amount of red blood cells and stores white blood cells and platelets, which helps blood clot in the case of an injury and helps efficiently move oxygen through the body. All of these functions allow your body to respond quickly to any threat of disease or injury.
Many variables can cause an enlarged spleen. It is typically the result of a clot or buildup of the waste materials that your spleen filters from your blood. Another possibility is that there is an abundance of the different components in your blood that the spleen should be regulating. Having an enlarged spleen is a condition known as Splenomegaly and is often a symptom of another underlying problem.
Because you can't actually feel the enlargement of your spleen, there aren't any symptoms. Splenomegaly is typically discovered during an examination for another issue. Some signs that may lead to a Splenomegaly diagnosis are shortness of breath and fatigue.
Most people that do experience symptoms cite pain in the upper left side of the abdomen, or not being able to eat a large meal.
The treatment of an enlarged spleen is based on the underlying condition that caused it. Determining what caused the Splenomegaly and treating it will ultimately treat your spleen. Surgery is only required in severe cases like lymphoma when its enlarged size becomes destructive for red blood cells and platelets. This procedure is called a splenectomy and involves removing all or part of the spleen.
The spleen plays an important role in your immune system. Your gastroenterologist can help you maintain not only your digestive health but your overall health as well. The expert staff at Digestive Diseases Center in Panama City, Florida, are here to help.
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