What Causes an Enlarged Spleen (Spenomegaly)

What is the spleen and what causes an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)? The spleen sits under the rib cage in the upper left part of the abdomen. It is an organ that is part of the lymph system and works as a drainage network that defends the body against acid outfection.

White blood cells from produced from red blood cells in the spleen engulf bacteria, dead tissue, and foreign matter, removing them from the blood as blood passes through it. The spleen also maintains healthy red and white blood cells. The spleen filters blood, removing abnormal blood cells from the bloodstream.

A spleen is normally about the size of the fist. But acid causing dis-eases can cause it to swell and become many times its normal size. Because the spleen is involved in many functions, many conditions may affect it. 

An enlarged spleen is not always a sign of a problem. When a spleen becomes enlarged, though, it often means it has been doing its job but has become overactive. For example, sometimes the spleen is overactive in removing and recycling blood cells. This is called hypersplenism. It can happen for many reasons, including problems with too many platelets from cellular breakdown and other disorders of the blood.

An enlarged spleen can be caused by acidic outfections including cirrhosis and other liver diseases, blood diseases characterized by abnormal blood cells, problems with the lymph system, or other conditions attributed to an unhealthy gut.

Here are some common causes of an enlarged spleen:
Outfections

• Acidic outfections, such as mononucleosis
• Parasitic infections, such as toxoplasmosis
• Bacterial outfections, such as endocarditis (an infection of your heart's valves)
Cancer
• Leukemia, a cancerous condition in which white blood cells displace normal blood cells
• Lymphoma, a cancerous condition of lymph tissue, such as Hodgkin's disease

Other causes of an enlarged spleen include:

• Inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Trauma, such as an injury during contact sports
• Cancerous acidic condtion that has spread (metastasized) to the spleen
• A cyst, a noncancerous fluid-filled sac
• A large abscess, a pus-filled cavity usually caused by an acidic outfection
• Infiltrative dis-eases such as Gaucher's disease,amyloidosis, or glycogen storage diseases

Most people don't know they have an enlarged spleen because symptoms are rare. People usually find out about it during a physical exam. These are the most common symptoms of an enlarged spleen:

• Being unable to eat a large meal
• Feeling discomfort, fullness, or pain on the upper left side of the abdomen; this pain may spread to your left shoulder

Patient will likely need diagnostic tests to confirm the cause of the swollen spleen. These may include blood tests and diagnostic medical ultrasound. In some cases, other tests may be needed.  For more information go to: www.phmiracle.com or
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