Pain in the spleen , called splenalgia , affects the upper portion of the left flank bordering the chest.
The pain in question can be mild and tolerable, but is sometimes described as tearing and stabbing to the point of making breathing difficult. It is localized at the level of the left side but can also radiate to the rest of the abdomen, giving a feeling of heaviness and swelling of the stomach up to also affecting the shoulder and chest.
Perceiving pain in the spleen does not have to arouse particular fears or fears; in fact, in most cases as we shall see, and consequent to onephysical effort carried out without the right training. After a few minutes of rest, the sensation generally vanishes without having negative consequences on the patient’s state of health.
In a minority of cases, however, pain in the spleen is a symptom of an ongoing disease that indicates the need for medical examinations.
When to see a doctor
If the pain occurs during physical exertion or during sporting activity (for example when running ), there is no reason to worry: it will be enough to slow down, rest for a few minutes and generally the pain will resolves on its own without the need for medical intervention.
If, on the other hand, pain arises as a result of sporting activity, especially if you are already well trained to play sports or if it spontaneously disappears without effort , it is necessary to consult your doctor, who will evaluate which specialist tests to direct you to.
Before illustrating the causes of pain in the spleen , it is necessary to provide some knowledge on the anatomy and the functions performed by this organ in order to better understand its mechanisms.
Where is the spleen?
What are its functions ?
The spleen is an ovoid-shaped organ located in the upper and left portion of the abdomen, located largely below the last two ribs.
It is an organ called lymphoid, since among its many functions there is that of producing antibodies that serve to counteract the antigens and bacteria that the organ receives through the blood flow.
It can be said that the spleen has the function of filtering the blood to clean it from both pathogens and aged and no longer efficient red blood cells (this latter function is called haemocateresis ). Under normal conditions, the spleen cannot be felt by touch, with the exception of that of very young children.
Once the functions of the spleen have been stated , we can more clearly illustrate the conditions that lead to pain in the spleen .
What are the causes of pain in the spleen
As mentioned previously, pain in the spleen can be of a transient nature and has no effect on the health of the subject.
More rarely, however, it represents the symptom of a condition of clinical interest.
So let’s see the most common causes.
- Sports activity: splenic pain easily affects subjects who engage in physical effort or sporting activity after a period of inactivity and therefore not trained. During the course of exercise, the heart pumps blood faster to meet the increased oxygen demand of the tissues. This means that the spleen will also receive a greater supply of blood with consequent overload of work and fatigue that results in pain. As stated above, if pain arises during physical exertion, there is no need to worry. It will be enough to rest for a few minutes to solve the problem;
- Cardiac disorders: the presence of a heart disorder is generally suspected if the pain occurs only at the end of physical exertion ;
- Anemia: we have seen that one of the functions of the spleen is that of haemocateresis, that is, the filtration of aged red blood cells (erythrocytes) which must be removed from the systemic circulation. In anemic subjects, the average life (half-life) of red blood cells is significantly lower than the physiological conditions (60-90 days against the normal 120). It goes without saying that in the case of anemia the number of erythrocytes to be filtered is higher than in healthy subjects, and this leads to an overload of work by the spleen, causing pain;
- Infections: we have also seen the function that the spleen plays in defense against pathogens, it is therefore easier to understand the connection between the development of an infection and the onset of pain in the spleen . Splenalgia is frequent following mononucleosis ( kissing disease) and is accompanied by all the characteristic symptoms of the infection, ie fever, pain in the joints and swollen lymph nodes;
- Hepatic pathologies: pain in the spleen is found in the case of pathological pictures affecting the liver, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis, because there is an alteration in blood pressure and a lower outflow of blood in the direction of the portal vein (which drains blood from the spleen to the liver). As a result there is a greater accumulation of blood in the spleen and therefore pain ;
- Trauma: they are not that rare. Often the spleen suffers from a large part of the trauma to the abdomen. It can also come to a condition of real medical emergency defined as rupture of the spleen (or splenic rupture);
- Cancer: rarer occurrence. It can be both malignant and benign and the best known form is splenic hemangioma.
How to diagnose pain in the spleen
The diagnosis of this disorder must only be reached by following a medical course which generally consists of a visit (which consists of anamnesis and physical examination) and specialist examinations.
The pain in the spleen , as we have seen, can be a consequence of clinical pictures of particular interest, it is therefore recommended to contact your doctor promptly, without wasting time and without relying on alleged remedies found on the internet.
During the visit, the doctor will ascertain the extent of the disturbance and therefore the type of pain perceived:
- when it occurs ( when running , when and at rest , without effort );
- duration of pain if short or prolonged over time.
It is also very useful to ascertain the clinical history of the patient and his family to understand a possible predisposition for a given pathology. Generally, then, we proceed towards the palpation of the patient to check for the presence of tumor masses, a condition that occurs if the spleen is palpable (condition of splenomegaly ) or other manifestations.
The blood test is very useful, in fact a high number of white blood cells (leukocytes) indicates the presence of an infection in progress, an altered number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and an indication of anemia.
Finally, we proceed with the investigations of an instrumental nature such as the ultrasound of the abdomen which represents the examination of choice in these cases.
What therapies we have available
The therapy varies according to the cause of the pain in the spleen and in any case it must be prescribed by a doctor on the basis of the diagnostic investigations carried out.
In the case of mononucleosis, the therapy consists simply of rest or it can consist of remedies of a pharmacological nature which may include the administration of symptomatic drugs. In these cases, however, the therapies must be carefully established by the physician according to the clinical entity, age, health conditions and individual characteristics of the patient.
It is now useful to provide some indications to better face a physical exercise session when you are not working out.
If spleen pain occurs when running or while exercising, then the right therapy is to learn how to train properly.
What are the remedies to prevent spleen pain while exercising
We have seen how the main cause of spleen pain is to be linked to physical exertion when not exercising or after a long period of rest. Below you will find some useful tips to minimize the appearance of pain in the spleen when exercising.
It is therefore advisable in the first place not to exceed and not to push your body beyond its capacity. Better to proceed with the workouts increasing the effort gradually from time to time.
It is also essential to prepare the body for the single training session through an adequate phase of stretching, warm-up and breathing exercises.
Once the sports session has started, when pain is felt in the left side, it will be sufficient to slow down the pace or alternate phases of rest in which to re-oxygenate the body with recovery phases, to decrease the painful sensation.
As you proceed with constant exercises and workouts at regular intervals, thus accustoming the body to the effort, the pain will tend to decrease and disappear.
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