Basically, a swollen spleen is not a disease but an indication of an underlying health problem. Read this story to know more about its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
The spleen is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity just below the diaphragm. One of its main functions is to filter out all the harmful, infection-causing organisms from blood. Besides, it removes the old red blood cells from the bloodstream and decomposes them.
It also acts like a blood reservoir by supplying additional blood to the body as and when required. Swollen spleen is also known as splenomegaly. It occurs when there is an increase in the workload of the organ.
Causes
One of the most common causes of the enlargement of this organ is infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
It may get swollen due to some traumatic injury or inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
It can happen when the liver is not working properly due to some diseases like liver cirrhosis.
It may be triggered by some blood diseases or abnormality in the lymph system.
In some cases, it is a symptom of some type of cancer like leukemia that affects the blood cells or lymphoma that affects the lymph tissue.
Symptoms
As the spleen swells and is stretched out, a pain is felt in the upper abdominal region.
A typical pain symptom is that it tends to get extended up to the left shoulder.
At times, the pain can be so severe that the patient may find it difficult to breathe properly.
In this condition, one experiences a sense of fullness all the time. As a result, the patient is unable to eat large meals, and he loses a lot of weight suddenly.
When abnormal functioning of this organ takes place due to swelling, an imbalance occurs in between the red and white blood cells.
This affects the clotting of blood, and the patient may suffer a huge blood loss even in small injuries.
Some worse symptoms are frequent infections, fatigues, jaundice, anemia, etc. However, there are many people who do not experience any symptoms at all.
Treatment
This condition is first diagnosed with a complete physical examination of the patient.
The area where the organ is located is tender to touch.
It is followed by a series of laboratory tests such as CT scan, ultrasound, blood tests, etc.
In this condition, the patient is advised to take rest and stay away from all such activities that can cause a ruptured spleen.
Doctors then identify the exact cause behind the problem, and they carry out necessary treatments for the same.
Once that specific health problem is cured, the body would get back to normal.
In those cases, where this part is either ruptured or is causing excessive destruction of red blood cells, treatment involves surgical removal. This is known as splenectomy.
For this purpose, surgeons usually prefer laparoscopy to open surgery.
This is because a laparoscopy is less invasive in nature, and the part is removed through small incisions.
Splenectomy is avoided in small children, as this organ plays a significant role in fighting off harmful bacteria from our body.
After the surgery, patients are susceptible to various viral and bacterial infections.
In the first two years, the chances of these infections are maximum.
For this reason, patients need to take regular oral antibiotics. They are also vaccinated against common infections from time to time.
If these problems are left untreated, they can lead to some serious health complications. Moreover, there is a risk of rupture in the swollen spleen, which can be life-threatening.
Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.