Enlarged Liver And Spleen

Enlarged Liver And Spleen Causes, Symptoms

An enlarged liver is called hepatomegaly by doctors. Enlarged spleen is known as splenomegaly. Enlarged liver and enlarged spleen sometimes happen simultaneously, in which case the condition is called hepatosplenomegaly. Non-medical individuals may also know it by it's more common name, enlarged spleen and liver disease. However, neither an enlarged liver nor an enlarged spleen are considered to be individual diseases themselves. Instead, they're a symptom of some other disorder or problem.

Generally speaking, an enlarged liver results from an infection, direct toxicity caused by illegal drugs, overuse of alcohol, or some form of disease. It may also be caused by a metabolic disorder. An enlarged spleen occurs because of conditions or diseases any disease that trigger the destruction of red blood cells in the spleen.

Causes of enlarged liver and spleen Hepatosplenomegaly, the combination of enlarged liver and spleen is typically caused by a disease or disorder that harms the kidneys, liver or the red blood cells in the body. The most familiar of these would include viral liver infections (like chronic hepatitis C), cirrhosis, typhoid, kidney and liver infections, blood diseases like leukemia, and numerous other disorders. When an individual has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for instance, the liver and spleen grow in size as the cancer progresses. This can cause a great deal of pain in the liver area. Some genetic conditions like sickle cell anemia also trigger spleen and liver enlargement.

Symptoms of enlarged liver and spleen Enlarged liver and spleen can be difficult for your doctor to diagnose, since the symptoms of enlarged liver and spleen are few. There are several, however, that can sometimes be recognizable. These include pain in the liver area and difficulty digesting large meals.  Your doctor may need to perform certain tests to make a firm diagnosis.

As mentioned above, symptoms of enlarged liver and spleen are usually not apparent or pronounced, so in many cases, you won't even know an enlargement is occurring. Mild pain when you touch or press the area around the liver may be one of the first noticeable signs. If you're experiencing such discomfort right now, it's best for you to give your doctor a call.  Treatment options usually depend on treating the underlying cause. Treatment for enlarged liver and spleen will focus on reducing the swelling. Depending on the reason for the enlargement, antibiotics may be appropriate, but this is not true in all cases.

You usually don't need to worry about your spleen rupturing. But in the rare instances where a ruptured spleen occurs, it can lead to a great deal of blood loss. A ruptured spleen can be fatal. For this reason, enlarged spleen should be treated quickly by a medical professional. 

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