Where is the spleen? We learn before the development of diseases

Many people do not know where the spleen is, before the onset of diseases, which manifestation is splenomegaly, or its increase. The largest organ of the lymphoid system is located on the left in the upper abdomen, approximately between the kidney, stomach and intestine.

Spleen work in the body

The spleen, having a length of 9-13 cm and a width of 6-9 cm, performs important functions in the body:

• Removes from the blood of old and damaged red blood cells.
• Is a source of formation of lymphocytes and antibodies.

You need to know about where the spleen is located, if only because it regularly cleans and renews the blood composition, which means that it directly affects the condition of the whole organism. This leads to frequent damage to the body as a result of other diseases.

The outlines of the organ to the level of the pelvis indicate that the size of the spleen has doubled. The consequence is enhanced filtration of blood - under the bombardment are also healthy cells. Reducing the number of lymphocytes leads to infections, red blood cells - to anemia, and platelets - to bleeding. Therefore, about where the spleen is, remind many symptoms.

Signs of trouble in the spleen

Primary( congenital) diseases of the lymphoid organ are rare. The weakness of the ligaments provokes the spleen wandering - its descent under its own weight. Twisting the legs of the spleen is the result of pathologies of development. These defects are corrected surgically.

Secondary diseases are a consequence of the role of the spleen in the body:

1. Infarction( partial necrosis of tissues) due to excessive accumulation of cells in the organ against the background of leukemia( an increase in the number of mutated white cells) or infection( an increase in the number of other elements of the blood).
2. Abscesses or suppuration occur after a heart attack or abdominal infections( endocarditis).
3. The cyst and benign spleen tumor have a different nature. The cause may be a proliferation of vascular or lymphoid tissue, the accumulation of serous fluid after trauma, as well as parasitic infections( echinococci).Cyst formation is a long process, during which the location and functions of neighboring organs change under the pressure of an enlarged lymphoid organ.
4. Spleen cancer is rare, and most often the cause is the growth of immature connective tissue( sarcoma).Pain in the hypochondrium, giving in the shoulder - an occasion to visit the doctor.

What are the pains?

Pain in the spleen indicates an acute infection or a significant increase in its size, as well as an inflammatory process. Splenomegaly brings a variety of secondary signs, reflecting the deterioration of the body: a decline in strength, inhibition, deterioration in appetite.

If the location of the spleen suggests an enlarged size, you need to know that this can indicate a number of conditions: accumulation of fluid in the peritoneum, cirrhosis of the liver, granulomatosis, various severe infections( typhus, smallpox, measles, syphilis), leukemias,leukopenia or a reduction in the population of white blood cells, as well as heart and vascular disease.