The spleen is an unpaired organ in the human body that performs important functions. But, unfortunately, few people know about the pathologies associated with it, as well as what symptoms are accompanied by spleen diseases and what consequences can occur. Although the consequences of diseases of such an organ can be quite severe.
Essentially, the spleen is a red pulp of erythrocytes and a white pulp - lymphoid tissue, where lymphocytes are formed. Organ cells detect foreign antigens and form their own antibodies. Experts note that the main time the spleen works is in the morning. Therefore, if during the period 9-11 am there is a feeling of weakness and daytime sleepiness, as well as a lack of appetite, but at the same time an active desire to snack on sweets, you should think in the direction of spleen diseases. It lacks pain receptors, and discomfort can only appear when the protective capsule is stretched.
Gastroenterologist and nutritionist Nuria Dianova told AiF.ru about why the spleen may hurt and what symptoms should be alarming, as well as how to cope with such pathologies.
Important organ
This is one of the organs of the immune system; it is where the primary recognition of any infectious agents, bacteria, viruses, and the formation of antibodies to them occurs.
Here, cells of the immune system are trained to recognize danger. The spleen is a graveyard for blood cells, such as red blood cells and platelets, where they die and are recycled. The spleen is also a depot of iron. There, after the destruction of old red blood cells, iron is retained and used by young red blood cells.
There are no specific diets for the spleen. It all depends on the cause of the spleen pathology, on the primary disease.
Nutrition for the spleen
The main feature of therapeutic nutrition is the inclusion of foods high in iron in your diet to normalize hematopoiesis. These include:
- cauliflower and white cabbage;
- citrus;
- avocado and pomegranate;
- cranberries and apples;
- bee honey;
- fish of any kind (including fatty fish);
- beet;
- Apple juice;
- all varieties of nuts.
Also, in a diet with an enlarged spleen, it is recommended to limit the consumption, or even completely eliminate the following products:
- ice cream;
- milk;
- butter;
- salt;
- veal and beef meat.
The diet for spleen disease includes the following foods without restrictions:
- dill with parsley;
- non-spicy sausages and sausages (dairy);
- chicken white meat without fat;
- black currants, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, strawberries, ginger and figs;
- nutmeg;
- bread, but only yesterday's;
- weak tea and rosehip decoction;
- non-concentrated vegetable and fruit juices;
- chicory;
- buckwheat and wheat porridge cooked in water;
- pasta;
- curdled milk, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt and hard cheese of mild varieties;
- lentils, beans, garlic, canned green peas, sauerkraut, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots.
The diet for the spleen also includes a number of prohibited foods, such as:
- spicy and fried foods;
- all varieties of mushrooms;
- alcoholic drinks;
- various pastries and fresh white bread;
- canned fish and caviar;
- venison;
- coffee and caffeinated drinks;
- fats and lard;
- broths;
- chocolate products;
- carbonated drinks;
- radish, horseradish, turnip, sorrel, rhubarb, radish;
- eggs;
- mayonnaise, seasonings and spices, mustard, herbs, sauces and vinegar.
The above products must be completely excluded from the patient’s diet in order to reduce the load on the diseased organ.
Devastating diseases
There are many classifications of spleen disease, but they can be divided into three groups.
1. Tumor diseases.
2. Splenomegaly and hypersplenism in cirrhosis of various etiologies. Splenomegaly is an enlargement of the spleen. Hypersplenism is a syndrome in which hematopoiesis is disrupted and a deficiency of blood cells appears. Often accompanied by an enlarged spleen.
3. Non-tumor diseases - the spectrum here is wide. Congenital cysts, injuries, parasitic formations, circulatory disorders, splenic infarction.
Spleen diseases can be quite dangerous. A global complication of such pathologies is death. For example, in case of injuries, accidents, falls, when an organ rupture with massive blood loss is possible, when massive intra-abdominal bleeding occurs, which can lead to death. Therefore, in case of accidents or injuries, a thorough examination and diagnosis of the abdominal organs is required to avoid tears. The spleen is a very delicate organ.
The second complication is decreased immunity. A person is susceptible to a large number of diseases, or the same disease constantly recurs. These are situations when the patient is treated, treated, and the disease reappears.
Symptoms of spleen pathology that you should know about.
The spleen is a small organ that is located in the abdominal cavity on the left side under the rib cage. Many people do not know that they have problems with the spleen, but changes in this organ signal that there is some kind of problem in the body. The spleen is a hematopoietic and largest lymphoid organ; if its function is disrupted, serious problems arise.
In section, the spleen consists of white and red substance (pulp), and is shaped like a coffee bean.
In the white pulp (from 6 to 20%), protein is produced by blood cells - lymphocytes, which destroy microbes and foreign particles that come with the blood.
In the red pulp (70 to 80% of the mass), the destruction of obsolete erythrocytes (red blood cells) occurs, which live on average about 120 days. Therefore, the spleen is also called the “graveyard of red blood cells.” Dead red blood cells are transported to the liver, where the pigment bilirubin for bile is formed from the hemoglobin of red blood cells.
A person can live without a spleen, but it will be quite difficult for him to fight infections. Usually the liver compensates for the loss of the spleen and takes over some of the functions.
Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
As a rule, this is not an independent disease, but the result of an underlying disease - chronic infection, anemia or blood cancer.
Sometimes characteristic symptoms may occur:
- pain in the left upper abdomen spreading to the left shoulder. If the pain is severe and increases with deep inspiration, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Feeling of fullness in the stomach, even if you have not eaten anything or after a small amount of food (as the spleen presses on the stomach).
- in addition: fatigue, anemia, frequent infections, bleeding, weight loss.
The doctor may suspect a problem with the spleen when palpating it (it will be enlarged) or using diagnostic tests (ultrasound, CT, MRI).
If the root cause is determined, for example, it is a bacterial infection, then after a course of antibiotic therapy, all symptoms go away.
Splenic rupture
This is a life-threatening condition and requires emergency care, as internal bleeding may develop. As a rule, this occurs as a result of a strong blow to the stomach (car accident, fight, certain sports).
Clinically characterized by pain in the left upper abdomen, tenderness on palpation, confusion, fainting, dizziness.
Spleen cancer
Primary tumor of the spleen is rare.
Splenomegaly develops with malignant neoplasms of the blood, lymphoma, leukemia, hemolytic anemia, liver diseases and lipid metabolism disorders. With these disorders, the spleen cannot cope with filtering blood and swells.
Treatment depends on the type of cancer and stage.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spleen is believed to be the home of our emotional concerns and is associated with stress and anxiety. Treatment consists of dietary recommendations and lifestyle changes.
Signs and Symptoms of Spleen Disease You Shouldn't Ignore. January 26, 2015
Life without an organ
If a person has a tear in the spleen, then most likely the organ will be removed.
Or if we are talking about tumor diseases, severe thrombosis of the splenic and hepatic veins against the background of cirrhosis. The spleen is not replaced. Despite the certain importance of the organ, you can live without it, you can give birth to children. I had a patient who survived an accident and removal of her spleen at the age of 5, and then lived an ordinary life and gave birth to two children.
The liver partially compensates for the absence of the spleen, so the liver does not need to be overloaded. It is very important to give up alcohol and eat healthy food. And realize that if immunity is reduced, you need to take a serious approach to treating the disease and vaccination.
About nutrition
The main functions of the Spleen - “yun-hua” and “raising pure”, are directly related to digestion and metabolism, therefore the main reason for maintaining the health of the Spleen is proper nutrition, built precisely on the correct understanding of its functional characteristics.
The spleen does not like dampness, therefore, excessive consumption of anything raw, namely raw water and raw foods, will “impede” the function of yun-hua. This is especially important in regions with a damp climate or for people who, for example, due to the nature of their work, are forced to spend a long time in damp conditions. As a rule, penetrating into the body quite slowly, external dampness already seriously burdens the Spleen, but what then can we say about the direct penetration of Dampness inside through food and drink?
In addition, excessive consumption of foods that are cold in temperature and quality also damages the function of the Spleen. This occurs due to damage to the Yang Spleen by pathogenic cold, which primarily disrupts its “raising” function.
Excessive consumption of raw and cold food, in addition to damaging the Spleen, causes a general imbalance of Yin and Yang in the body and often becomes the cause of such serious diseases with the manifestation of the “acute abdomen” syndrome, such as volvulus, or can create the basis for the occurrence of such serious diseases, such as Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as many other diseases of the digestive system and more.
Therefore, for people who live in cold and damp climates and practice drinking huge amounts of freshly squeezed, especially cold juice, cold yogurt (yogurt is a dessert, not a main meal) on an empty stomach, cold raw water, I want to inform you that NOT ALL AND NOT ALWAYS JUICES. YOGURT AND RAW WATER ARE EQUALLY HEALTHY!! (I’m not imposing anything on anyone, draw your own conclusions).
The spleen has a sweet taste, so to maintain its active functional state, it is necessary to have a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in the diet. I want to immediately clarify that a sufficient amount of carbohydrates does not mean at all that you need to eat more sugar, sweets and something like that. We are talking about so-called complex carbohydrates, the main sources of which are cereals, vegetables, fruits, unsweetened berries, and herbs.
Almost all edible cereals from the point of view of Chinese medicine contain a sweet taste, and they are the optimal source of Spleen Essence. For example, a strong craving for sweets is a sign of depletion of the Spleen Essence, so such people fundamentally need to include more grains in their diet. As for sweets, sugar, etc., their abuse will not only not solve the problem and will lead to the accumulation of pathogenic Moist Heat in the digestive system and the Spleen itself, but also, according to the pattern “sweets damage the Kidneys,” can contribute to disorders in the Kidneys .
The color of the spleen corresponds to yellow, so all products with a yellow color, such as pumpkin, turnips, corn, millet, turmeric (this is a spice, so it should not be abused) will strengthen the spleen. Pay attention to this.
About raw water
Drinking large amounts of mineral water is now widely promoted. Drinking water in itself is a very important topic for health, especially when it comes to poor ecology and stress. But is it really useful to drink large amounts of raw water? Raw water, like raw foods, damages the Spleen and drinking it in large quantities with a sedentary lifestyle and in regions with a damp, cold climate is not only not healthy, but also very dangerous!
According to Chinese medicine, it’s like a time bomb! And the notorious minerals contained in raw water, against the background of functional weakness of the Spleen, simply will not be absorbed.
Therefore, from the point of view of Chinese medicine, you should drink more warm boiled water. In the process of thermal exposure, water acquires Yang properties (i.e., it loses its raw cold quality). Such water is better absorbed and better removed from the body, i.e., it fully participates in water metabolism. But we drink water precisely in order to maintain proper water metabolism. Is not it? By the way, you can also drink raw water, but only then do not forget to move a lot.
For example, you can grab a bottle of mineral water for a workout or hiking trip. You can also move for permanent residence to a country with a hot and dry climate... Drinking plenty of raw water damages Yang, and from the point of view of Chinese medicine, a lack of Yang is, for example, one of the reasons for the occurrence of neoplasms. So again, draw your own conclusions.
