The spleen is an organ located in the abdomen, which plays a fundamental role within the body’s immune system. It mainly deals with the destruction of red blood cells that have finished their life cycle. It is located on the left side of the abdomen, high below the diaphragm. Covered entirely by the ribs it is not possible to feel it. However, when it becomes inflamed or causes pain, it is still possible to localize the pain and impute it directly to this organ. The reasons why we may feel discomfort could be different and many. But let’s see in more detail what it could be.
The pain in the spleen could be due to excessive physical exertion but it could also be the alarm bell of these pathologies that should not be underestimated
The most common symptom could be pain, which can be felt in conditions of activity, after training or overexertion. In these situations it is completely normal and, if it is an isolated symptom, we should not worry too much. Maybe we feel it after a particularly hard exercise or after carrying a heavy object up the stairs. It would be advisable to consult the doctor when the pain persists and lasts over time, even for several days. In the most alarming cases it could be the signal of some different pathologies or diseases. This could be anemia, mononucleosis, or infections.
Anemia may initially be asymptomatic, but as the problem worsens, there may be fatigue, paleness, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness. But also chest pains, dizziness, cold hands and feet. This is a condition in which the number of red blood cells is not sufficient for the proper functioning of the body and, to discover it, even simple blood tests would be enough.
Infectious diseases such as mononucleosis
As far as mononucleosis is concerned, it is an infectious disease that is transmitted by saliva. Called the “kissing disease,” it would cause mild to moderate symptoms. It would be a general malaise, asthenia and fatigue. In some serious cases, however, it could affect the proper functioning of certain organs such as the heart, lungs, central nervous system and even the spleen. The disease is mainly recognized through the symptoms that the patient reports to the general practitioner and, with blood tests, the presence of specific anti-EBV antibodies could be identified. Finally, when we feel persistent pain, in addition to these diseases, it could be an enlargement of the spleen associated with infectious-bacterial forms, in fact, or cancers of various kinds and nature.
In these cases we speak of splenomegaly. It can be asymptomatic, cause pain in the area, hiccups, or the inability to eat large meals. The pain in your spleen could be due to training, but when it comes to persistent pain or anemia, it is very important to see your doctor as soon as possible. In this way, the necessary analyzes could be verified and the necessary checks carried out.
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