The spleen is one of the most underrated organs in your body. It is enclosed in the rib cage and its size is almost the same as your fist. Although it does not have a major role in the body to rave about, the spleen acts a good supporter to maintain better health.
The spleen has several functions. One of its main roles is to filter the blood. However, it filters the blood differently from the liver. It does not remove waste materials. Rather, it removes infectious and unnecessary substances in the blood. It helps the immune system get rid of infection from viruses and bacteria. It also removes dead blood cells and old RBCs that have served their purposes. It helps fight infection by producing WBCs that create antibodies to strengthen the immune system.
The spleen can be divided into two parts. The first part is the white tissue that acts as the support of the immune system. This is where lymphocytes are being made. The second part is the red tissue which acts as the main filter. It also stores blood for future use.
There are cases when the spleen becomes damaged. One of the conditions is the enlarged spleen. This happens when the body experiences cancer. Cancer cells kill healthy blood cells making the spleen store more dead cells than usual. As a result, it becomes enlarged and inflamed. It is important for doctors to diagnose the enlargement of the spleen carefully in order to find out what is causing it. It can be caused by serious illnesses such as cancer or less serious conditions such as anemia. Another condition is the hyperactive spleen. This is characterized by increased level of performance of the spleen. For some, this may sound good. But in reality, it is quite dangerous for the health. If your spleen acts too much, it may remove even the healthy blood cells. It may remove red blood cells and platelets from the circulation. If the RBCs become less in number, this will not be good for the transport of nutrients and may even worsen conditions such as anemia. In the same way, if the platelets are reduced in the circulation, this may pose danger to the body if some areas are wounded. Platelets help the blood clot and heal wounds. Reduced platelet numbers will make the body unable to heal bruises and may lead to serious infections. Another condition is known as the sickle cell disease. This is a condition where unhealthy RBCs circulate around the body. Instead of assisting the organs, they damage the organs and prevent the immune system from fighting infections.
Although the spleen is less known, you always need to make sure that it stays healthy.