How the spleen hurts and where is it located

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The spleen is an internal hemispheric organ that performs several important functions in the body's work at once. The development of any inflammatory processes in it can lead to serious diseases. Therefore, it is important to know where the spleen is located and how it hurts when various pathologies appear.

Where is the spleen located and what functions does it perform

In order to understand in time that a disease is developing, you need to know where the spleen is. It is located in the upper abdomen, in the left hypochondrium just below the diaphragm and has the shape of a slightly flattened hemisphere. Its dimensions are small, only 8-14 cm in length and 4-6 cm in width. It is protected from injury by ribs and cannot be felt in a healthy state.

The functions of the spleen are still not fully understood. The currently known ones include:

1. Short-term storage of blood. In the event of a violation of the blood flow, it absorbs it into itself, while increasing in size, and when the state normalizes, it returns it to the general flow
2. Stabilization of the immune system. It is in the spleen that the blood is purified from heavy metals, bacteria and their waste products, from substances that are formed during the breakdown of tissues in places of injuries and burns.
3. Stabilization of the composition of blood cells. In a normal state, this organ stores from 1/3 to half of all platelets. It is from it that their maximum release occurs in case of injury, which helps to increase blood clotting and stop bleeding.
4. Cleansing the blood. The spleen removes damaged and old platelets and red blood cells from it. The waste is sent to the liver to participate in the production of bile, and the iron is used again.
5. Blood production. It is in this organ that lymphocytes are produced, which play one of the important roles in the functioning of the body's immune system.

In some cases, the spleen is fully responsible for hematopoiesis. These include:

• malfunction of the bone marrow;
• with the development of the fetus during pregnancy until the very birth (shortly before them, hematopoiesis begins to control the spinal cord).

In the abdominal cavity, the spleen is held by its internal pressure, which is created by special ligaments located on almost all sides of the organ. They are absent only at the point of contact with the pancreas and at the gate of the spleen itself.

Common symptoms of spleen diseases

One of the main signs of problems with the spleen is severe pain in the region of the left hypochondrium on the back of the stomach. They most often talk about serious organ damage: tears, wounds, cracks. In these cases, bleeding occurs, which causes severe pain, sometimes leading to shock.

It is vitally important to know the symptoms and how the spleen hurts with internal bleeding. Their characteristic features include:

• labored breathing;
• anemia;
• hypotension;
• thirst;
• pallor of the skin;
• tremor;
• nausea;
• vomit.

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With an increase in the organ, it begins to be palpated well on palpation, the following symptoms appear:

• pallor of the skin;
• pain in the left hypochondrium becomes much stronger during exertion or movement;
• unpleasant sensations appear in the navel area;
• a feeling of fatigue develops;
• reduced immunity.

Most often, this condition is accompanied by inflammation of the lymph nodes.

Also, the following symptoms of the disease can speak of changes in the size of the spleen:

• feeling of heaviness in the stomach;
• increased body temperature;
• frequent bleeding;
• rapid pulse;
• the appearance of ulcers on various parts of the body - in the mouth, on the legs and arms.

When conducting a clinical blood test with an increase in the spleen, a significant decrease in hemoglobin is revealed.

If there is any suspicion of the development of diseases of this organ, it is imperative to undergo a full medical examination.

Types of pain in diseases of the spleen

The spleen, like the liver, lacks pain receptors, therefore, unpleasant sensations appear only with a significant increase. In this case, she begins to press on the vessels and nearby organs, as a result of which pain appears.

Depending on the pressure area, it can be of a different nature:

• dull, combined with a feeling of heaviness in the area of the left hypochondrium;
• intense, periodically occurring in the upper left abdomen;
• painful, covering the entire area of the left and right hypochondrium;
• pronounced, starting in the left hypochondrium and radiating to the shoulder and chest area;
• pulling, intensifying during inhalation.

Since the main cause of pain is an increase in the size of the spleen, patients usually characterize it as bursting, squeezing and pinching.

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Causes of pain

Painful sensations in the area of the left hypochondrium can indicate a variety of problems with the spleen. The most common reasons for their appearance are:

• autoimmune diseases - amyloidosis, chronic hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis;
• blood diseases - lymphomas or anemia;
• tumors of different etiology;
• cysts, including those of parasitic origin, complicated by rupture or suppuration;
• phlebothrombosis of the splenic vein, provoking stagnation of blood in the tissues of the spleen;
• twisting of the leg (volvulus) is one of the reasons for the violation of blood flow to the organ;
• rupture of a non-traumatic nature, most often occurring with an increase in the spleen, even with mild physical activity;
• injuries of various origins - due to fractured ribs, penetrating injury or bruise;
• a spleen infarction leads to a disruption in blood flow to the spleen due to vasospasm of the organ's vessels;
• abscess - inflammation of tissues of a purulent nature, followed by their melting;
• various inflammatory processes in the tissues of the organ, quite often caused by infection.

In most cases, an enlarged spleen is the result of infectious diseases or a major ailment of the hematopoietic system.

The rarest causes of pain in the area of the spleen are purpura, a disease characterized by the presence of a large number of cysts filled with blood.

Sometimes pain in the area where the spleen is located is physiologically normal. Such cases include:

• pain during gestation, which occurs due to the pressure of the uterus and the baby on the abdominal organs;
• painful sensations during fast running or walking, provoked by the accumulation and release of blood into the artery.

In some cases, pain in the spleen can be associated with discomfort in the liver, which is a clear sign of cirrhosis.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause of pain in the left hypochondrium, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination. Based on its results, it will be clear how and how to treat the disease.

The diagnostic measures include the following examination methods:

1. Patient interview. It is carried out in order to identify diseases that are present at the time of treatment, or that have been transferred earlier, including a parasitic or infectious nature.
2. Inspection. Helps to determine if the spleen is enlarged, if there are large neoplasms on it.
3. Palpation. The patient lies on his back or on his right side. The method helps to determine the location of the lower border of the spleen, the degree of pain and the size of the organ.
4. Puncture with histology. Helps to exclude the malignant nature of the tumor if it is detected with other methods of examination.
5. Computed tomography - to confirm test results. If there is a suspicion of tumor formation in the vessels of the organ, CT can be combined with angiography.
6. Ultrasound and radiography. Helps determine the size of the spleen, the presence of scars or tumors.
7. Blood tests. They help to determine a positive reaction to antibodies to parasites, anemic conditions, to assess the composition of the blood.

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For a complete picture, the therapist may recommend consulting an oncologist, infectious disease specialist or hematologist.

How to provide first aid

If you know how the spleen hurts and the symptoms of the alleged disease, then you can significantly alleviate the condition before the ambulance arrives.

In case of pain in the left hypochondrium, the patient can be helped by acting as follows:

1. Help to lie down comfortably.
2. If there is bleeding, then bandage tightly. It is forbidden to apply ice or a heating pad to a sore spot.
3. A mild sedative may be given to restore breathing.

It is important to know that it is strongly discouraged to take any pain relievers before the arrival of the doctor.

Outcomes

For diseases of the spleen, it is forbidden to self-medicate, including by means of traditional medicine. For any pain in the left hypochondrium, a thorough examination is required, which will help to prescribe adequate therapy. This, in turn, is the guarantor of the healing and preservation of the organ. To enhance the effect of taking drugs, you will need to strictly adhere to the diet recommended by your doctor.