What does it mean when your spleen is enlarged?

What does it mean when your spleen is enlarged?

An enlarged spleen is the result of damage or trauma to the spleen from any of several different medical conditions, diseases, or types of physical trauma. Infections, liver problems, blood cancers, and metabolic disorders can all cause your spleen to become enlarged, a condition called splenomegaly.

How do you fix an enlarged spleen?

If an enlarged spleen causes serious complications or the cause can’t be identified or treated, surgery to remove your spleen (splenectomy) might be an option. In chronic or critical cases, surgery might offer the best hope for recovery. Elective spleen removal requires careful consideration.

Can an enlarged spleen go back to normal size?

What Is the Prognosis for Enlarged Spleen? Depending upon the cause, the enlarged spleen may return to normal size and function when the underlying disease is treated or resolved. Commonly, in infectious mononucleosis, the spleen returns to normal as the infection gets better.

What foods to avoid if you have an enlarged spleen?

Additionally, limiting or cutting out the foods and drinks below can help protect against the development of diseases, including conditions linked to an enlarged spleen:

• Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, milkshakes, iced tea, energy drinks.
• Fast food: french fries, burgers, pizzas, tacos, hot dogs, nuggets.

What is the most common cause of an enlarged spleen?

Infections, such as mononucleosis, are among the most common causes of splenomegaly. Problems with your liver, such as cirrhosisand cystic fibrosis, can also cause an enlarged spleen. Another possible cause of splenomegaly is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This condition can cause inflammation of the lymph system.

How do you heal an enlarged spleen naturally?

There are no natural treatments for an enlarged spleen.

Can an enlarged spleen mean nothing?

An enlarged spleen usually does not cause many symptoms, and the symptoms that it does cause may be mistaken for many other medical conditions. Because the enlarged spleen lies next to the stomach and sometimes presses against it, people may feel full after eating a small snack or even without eating.

How do you sleep with an enlarged spleen?

The spleen is also located on the left. This organ purifies our blood. The waste substances that are transferred through the lymph vessels will reach the spleen easier if we sleep on our left side.

Can stress cause enlarged spleen?

“Stress appears to prompt the release of stem cells from the bone marrow to the spleen, where they develop into white blood cells, or monocytes, and expand over time,” Godbout said.

Is coffee bad for your spleen?

Coffee moves qi and blood and has a dispersing quality both ascending (stimulating the mind and lifting the spirit) and descending (purgative, diuretic and increased peristalsis). Its flavour is sweet and bitter and is therefore associated with the spleen and heart organs.

What can irritate the spleen?

Causes

• Viral infections, such as mononucleosis.
• Bacterial infections, such as syphilis or an infection of your heart’s inner lining (endocarditis)
• Parasitic infections, such as malaria.
• Cirrhosis and other diseases affecting the liver.

What does an enlarged spleen feel like?

A common symptom of an enlarged spleen is a feeling of pain or discomfort in the upper left side of abdomen, where the spleen is located. You might also experience a feeling of fullness after only eating a small amount. This usually happens when the spleen becomes enlarged to the point that it presses on the stomach.

What does it mean to have an enlarged spleen?

An enlarged spleen, known formally as splenomegaly , is a medical condition in which a person or animal’s spleen increases in size due to some sort of inflammation or other problem. The swelling doesn’t usually cause any immediate symptoms or pain, and as such people aren’t usually aware of what’s going on.

Can you live with an enlarged spleen?

If an enlarged spleen causes serious complications or the cause can’t be identified or treated, surgical removal of your spleen (splenectomy) may be an option. You can live an active life without a spleen, but you’re more likely to contract serious or even life-threatening infections after spleen removal. A.

What makes your spleen enlarged?

An enlarged spleen can be caused by infections, cirrhosis and other liver diseases, blood diseases characterized by abnormal blood cells, problems with the lymph system, or other conditions. Here are some common causes of an enlarged spleen: Infections. Viral infections, such as mononucleosis.