Enlarged Spleen Symptoms

Spleen is located on the left side of the upper quadrant of the abdomen. It plays a crucial roles in the overall health and well-being of the body. Its functions include mechanical filtration of red blood cells and active immune responses by producing antibodies against pathogenic foreign bodies.

Various diseases and disorders such as cirrhosis, cancer, and microbial infections causes enlargement of spleen. This condition is described as splenomegaly. Enlarged spleen is mostly devoid of any symptoms.

Almost all the patients do not know that they are suffering from this ailment. In majority of the cases, it is found that during physical examinations being conducted for some other medical conditions.

• An enlarged spleen causes mild to severe pain in the abdomen, which may further radiate to the left arm or shoulder. This indicates dying of this organ.

• A constant feeling of fullness, even on eating little or nothing is another noticeable symptom of this disease. This occurs mainly because of its position, which is next to the stomach.
• Enlarged spleen causes reduction in the platelet count of blood. It further results in easy bleeding.

• Due this problem, too many red blood cells and white blood cells are removed, which causes anemia and weakening of immune system, respectively.

• Some other borderline symptoms include fatigue, jaundice, and weight loss.
• Many patients feel a sharp pain at the back, and this a major sign of this disease.
• In serious cases, the abdominal pain is severe and gets worse on breathing. You should seek immediate medical attention.

A doctor usually suspects enlarged spleen when the patient complains of fullness of stomach even without eating. He is generally able to feel the overgrown organ by palpating the left upper region of the abdomen.

 To confirm the presence of splenomegaly, the doctors may conduct certain radiological diagnostic tests. They include X-ray, computerized tomographic scanning, and ultrasound. They study the images obtained from these tests to determine the increase in the normal size of spleen, and its impact on the surrounding organs.

The doctors may also conduct another radiological test called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) so that the flow of blood through the spleen can be traced out.

Blood tests can also be performed to determine the count of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The shape and size of these cells helps the doctor by giving some indications of a possible disease that may be responsible for an enlarged spleen.

Measurement of proteins in the blood also assists in such an evaluation. The ailments that can cause enlarged spleen and liver are amyloidosis, kala-azar, malaria, and tuberculosis.

During treatment, the medical condition that is actually the reason behind occurrence of the symptoms is studied. In serious cases of splenomegaly, he may remove the enlarged spleen by surgery.

The post operative results of surgical removal is a weakened immune system. The patient becomes more susceptible to diseases and infections. However, medical treatments use radiotherapy to shrink the size of the enlarged spleen very effectively.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.