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Splenic Pain - Causes and Treatment
contents
- The spleen
- Functions of the spleen
- Spleen enlargement as a cause
- Spleen pain from sickle cell anemia
- Thalassemia as a cause of splenic pain
- splenic infarction
- Milzriss as a cause of splenic pain
- Removal of the spleen
- Applications of naturopathy
The spleen
The spleen is a bean-shaped organ that lies below the left costal arch and borders on the diaphragm, stomach and left kidney. Due to its proximity to the diaphragm, it moves with the breathing. The average size of the spleen is 4x7x11 centimeters, with size and weight largely depending on the blood and the condition of the organ. Their weight is usually between 150 and 200 grams. The spleen belongs to the human lymphatic system, which is familiar to most medical laymen, especially in connection with lymph node swelling.
The spleen is the largest lymphatic organ of the body and is located on the left side of the upper abdomen. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com) Since the spleen consists of a very soft tissue (pulp), it is surrounded by a capsule for protection which gives it stability. The spleen is not a vital organ. If, for example, she is injured in an accident, she often has to be removed because of heavy bleeding. Then other organs like the liver take over their function. Affected suffer nevertheless often under a larger susceptibility to infection.
Functions of the spleen
The spleen has two essential functions in the body: on the one hand it acts as a filter in the bloodstream, on the other hand it is part of the immune system and plays an important role in the immune defense. The two functional units are visually recognizable by the different colors. The filter unit is heavily perfused and red (red pulp). The immune-related area is white (white pulp).
In the red pulp of the spleen, older red blood cells (erythrocytes), which are about 120 days old, are filtered out of the bloodstream and broken down. On the other hand, young fresh red blood cells hatch through the narrow mesh of the spleen and remain available to the bloodstream. A large artery (artery) supplies the blood and via a vein it flows again.
The function of the white pulp refers to the immune system of the body. Here, white blood cells (leukocytes) are collected, as well as in some other places in the body. The leukocytes important for the immune defense are the so-called lymphocytes. They fend off pathogens that swim by in the white pulp of the spleen or, after some time, are flushed back into the bloodstream to respond to unwanted invaders.
Spleen enlargement as a cause
Splenomegaly refers to the acute or chronic enlarged spleen. This is not a disease of one's own but a medical condition that may indicate various causes. As a rule, the causative disorder does not only refer to the spleen.
Spleen enlargement often occurs in connection with a disease of the blood, e.g. Leukemia, up. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com) Often there are blood disorders such as leukemia or Hodgkin's disease,
a malignant tumor of the lymphatic system. In addition, infectious diseases can trigger a spleen enlargement. These include, for example, Pfeiffer's glandular fever or a sepsis caused by bacteria in the blood.
Rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus can trigger spleen enlargement. Because it is an autoimmune disease, the body's own tissue instead of harmful bacteria and viruses are attacked by the immune system. This produces numerous antibodies that stick together and deposit in different places in the body. This process can also cause damage to organs such as the spleen.
Another cause of spleen pain due to splenomegaly may be a hepatic congestion. Here, the blood jams back to the spleen, because it can not drain from the gastrointestinal tract through the liver. This is the case with liver cirrhosis, hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) or pancreatitis (pancreatitis). Likewise, tumors can lead to enlargement of the spleen.
If the spleen responds to splenomegaly with hyperfunction (hyperspleniasyndrome), the organ will store too many red and white blood cells and platelets, and at the same time it will degrade too much, resulting in anemia.
If there is an enlargement of the spleen, this can lead to pain in the area of the organ. Since, as described, usually other underlying diseases are the cause of splenomegaly, there are also symptoms that include, for example, fever in infections or cancers and joint pain in rheumatic diseases. If the pain goes from the spleen itself, it can radiate to the left shoulder.
Spleen pain from sickle cell anemia
The so-called sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease in which the structure of hemoglobin (red blood pigment) is altered. As a result, the red blood cells have a different structure and resemble in their appearance no longer like a round rubber dinghy, but appear sickle-shaped. Because the blood cells thus formed are less flexible, they can clog small vessels, such as in the spleen, and thus hinder the vital supply of blood to the organs. In addition, the spleen increasingly filters these red blood cells out of the blood and breaks them down.
Thalassemia as a cause of splenic pain
Another possible cause of splenic pain is thalassemia. This is a hereditary disease that interferes with the formation of hemoglobin in different ways. The red blood pigment normally binds the oxygen to transport it. In thalassemia, the blood pigment is altered and can no longer sufficiently bind the oxygen.
The result is a shortage of oxygen in various tissues. The most common symptoms of the disease are the typical signs of anemia such as chronic fatigue, dizziness, headache, palpitations and generally pale skin or puffiness. Those affected often suffer from exhaustion and fatigue, are quickly out of breath and often find it difficult to concentrate,
A splenic infarction causes massive pain in the left upper abdomen. (Image: anetlanda / fotolia.com) splenic infarction
In a splenic infarction suffer sufferers violent abdominal pain in the area of the left upper abdomen. The term "infarction" basically describes the destruction of tissue due to a lack of oxygen. The cause is a current circulatory disorder.
In most cases, patients already suffer from other diseases such as leukemia, blood poisoning, endocarditis or atrial fibrillation. If the occlusion is not complete, the splenic infarction may also be "dumb", ie without symptoms. An infarct at the spleen must be promptly supplied emergency medical.
Milzriss as a cause of splenic pain
The spleen is well protected due to its location under the left costal arch. Only with massive external influences, such as in a serious accident or a blow to the appropriate place, it can come to the tearing of the spleen. In rib fractures, the sharp edges of the ribs can injure the organ.
If a splenic rupture occurs, it is associated with a very heavy bleeding, so that often only the removal of the spleen comes into question. For minor injuries, a special adhesive can sometimes be used to "patch" the organ.
The symptoms of a splenic rupture (splenomegaly rupture) due to the strong bleeding in the abdominal cavity is a lack of blood in the circulation. The abdominal muscles become very hard in case of strong, fast hemorrhages. If it is a slow hemorrhage, the affected person may initially experience no complaints.
However, if the blood loss is so great that it leads to a sharp drop in blood pressure in the blood vessels, symptoms of reduced blood flow occur. The brain is particularly vulnerable. It reacts with dizziness, confusion, sudden blurred vision or headache. Both fast and slow bleeding from the spleen into the abdomen is life-threatening for those affected and requires immediate emergency medical procedures.
Loss of the spleen may increase susceptibility to infections such as e.g. an ear infection mean. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com) Removal of the spleen
In acute cases, the physicians in an injured spleen due to the heavy bleeding often no other way to surgically remove them (splenectomy). The organ has no vital function, but the splenectomy carries certain risks. First and foremost, the long-term limited infection control is one of the reasons, since the Milz removal an organ of the immune system is missing.
Certain bacteria (e.g., pneumococci and meningococci) can become particularly dangerous to patients by causing diseases such as lung or meningitis, ear inflammation, or sinusitis. Therefore, two to three weeks before removal of the spleen, individuals will be advised to receive vaccines against these pathogens. The vaccination should be repeated every five to ten years.
In children, removal of the spleen is (if possible) avoided before the end of the sixth year of life because their immune system is significantly weaker than that of adults. The disease processes by the described bacteria are therefore usually more serious and dangerous.
Applications of naturopathy
In naturopathy, there are some approaches to relieve pain in the spleen. So wrote Hildegard von Bingen: The pine tree cream consisting of Tannenwipfel extract, bark extract, may butter and sage can be rubbed to reduce the pain on the affected area.
The relief of the symptoms, however, does not cure the underlying disease. For this reason, a thorough diagnosis by a specialized specialist in internal medicine is indispensable. Patients should consult with a doctor in case of complaints and co-ordinate the therapy. The pine ointment can certainly be used as part of a medical care supportive. (Naturopath sw, nr, last updated on 24.3.2017)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor) 