Checking your own spleen can be tricky, since it sits deep inside the abdomen behind the stomach. There are some steps you can take at home to get a sense of your spleen’s health and determine if you need medical attention. Let’s explore the spleen’s function, possible symptoms of splenic issues, and techniques to monitor spleen health.
What Does the Spleen Do?
The spleen is an organ located in the upper left area of the abdomen, behind the stomach and under the diaphragm. Shaped like a fist, it is about the size of a person’s clenched hand. The spleen plays several important roles:
- Filters blood – The spleen contains specialized white blood cells that screen blood for abnormalities like damaged red blood cells and foreign substances.
- Stores blood reserves – Up to a cup of red blood cells are stored in the spleen in case of emergencies like severe blood loss.
- Removes old blood cells – Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen and their iron is reused by the body.
- Fights infection – The white blood cells in the spleen identify and kill bacteria, viruses, and other invaders.
- Manages immune responses – The spleen makes antibodies and removes antibody-coated pathogens.
Due to its filtering and blood storage duties, the spleen is sometimes called the “body’s recycler” or “trash can.” Overall the spleen plays a crucial role in maintaining normal blood composition and a healthy immune system.
What Could Go Wrong with the Spleen?
There are several conditions that can affect the spleen and its function. Potential spleen problems include:
Splenomegaly
This refers to an enlarged spleen. The spleen typically enlarges as it works harder to filter abnormal numbers of blood cells or in response to inflammation or infections. Splenomegaly may be caused by:
- Cancers like leukemia and lymphoma
- Hepatitis and mononucleosis
- Blood disorders like anemia
- Abscesses or cysts
- Malaria and tuberculosis
Ruptured spleen
The spleen can rupture and bleed due to major blunt trauma to the abdomen or ribs. This requires emergency surgery.
Splenic infarction
This happens when blood flow to part of the spleen is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. Infarction causes sudden pain and tenderness.
Splenic cysts and tumors
Noncancerous cysts or masses may form on the spleen. These are often found incidentally through imaging tests for other reasons.
Splenic torsion
This is when the spleen twists on its blood vessels due to lax attachments, causing extremely sharp abdominal pain.
Signs of a Spleen Problem
Since the spleen sits deep inside the body, swollen or distressed spleens don’t present obvious symptoms that are easily visible or palpable. Some signs that may indicate an unhealthy spleen include:
- Abdominal pain in the upper left quadrant or left shoulder tip pain from inflamed diaphragm irritation.
- Feeling full after small meals.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Low-grade fever.
- Fatigue or weakness.
Symptoms associated with enlarged spleens like splenomegaly include:
- Abdominal fullness or bloating.
- Early satiety – feeling full after eating only a small amount.
- Indigestion and gastroesophageal reflux.
- Constipation.
A ruptured spleen causes sudden, severe pain in the upper left abdomen and shoulder. Shock from blood loss leads to dizziness, thirst, nausea, and sweating.
Monitoring Spleen Health at Home
There are a few simple techniques you can try at home to get a general sense of spleen health. However, note that these methods have limited accuracy and cannot replace proper medical imaging and laboratory testing.
Physical exam
- Lie down flat on your back with a pillow under your knees.
- Take deep breaths to relax abdominal muscles.
- Palpate the upper left abdomen below the rib cage with your fingers.
- Press gently at first, then gradually deeper up to 2 inches while paying attention to any pain or discomfort.
- A markedly enlarged or swollen spleen may feel like a mass or large knob.
- Note any pain that radiates to the left shoulder.
- Repeat palpation along the entire upper left quadrant region.
This technique has limited usefulness since many abdominal organs overlay the spleen location. Only significant spleen enlargement produces obvious fullness.
Percussion
- Lie on your back with a pillow under the knees.
- Use the fingers of your right hand to gently tap in the area below the left ribs, moving from midline outward.
- Compare the percussion sounds on the left versus right side.
- A swollen spleen more commonly causes dullness but sometimes a tympanic drum-like sound.
- Shift positions and repeat percussion along the left upper quadrant.
Abdominal percussion takes practice but may reveal spleen enlargement. Confirm findings by comparing to the right side.
| Location | Percussion Sound | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Upper right abdomen under ribs | Normal resonant sound | Normal |
| Upper left abdomen under ribs | Dull or shifted resonance | Suggests splenomegaly |
Bloodwork
The spleen helps regulate blood cell levels. Complete blood count (CBC) results can provide clues about spleen function:
- Low red blood cell or hemoglobin count – Can signal overactive spleen filtering of red blood cells in conditions like anemia or leukemia.
- High white blood cell count – May reflect spleen responses to infection or inflammation.
- Low platelet count – Suggests excessive spleen removal of aging platelets.
- Abnormal blood film – Odd shapes or clustering of red and white blood cells can indicate spleen dysfunction.
Keep a log of any CBC results over time to monitor spleen-related trends.
| Date | Hemoglobin | Platelets | White Blood Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/12/2023 | 12.5 g/dL | 175 x10^3/uL | 4.1 x10^3/uL |
| 5/30/2023 | 10.9 g/dL | 112 x10^3/uL | 7.8 x10^3/uL |
When to Seek Medical Care
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs of an unhealthy spleen. Bloodwork and imaging tests can confirm if the spleen is enlarged, inflamed, or dysfunctional.
Seek emergency care for:
- Severe abdominal pain after an injury – May signal a ruptured spleen.
- Feeling faint, weak, nauseous, or confused – Could reflect internal bleeding.
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain – The enlarged spleen may be compressing the lung.
- Shoulder tip pain along with abdominal symptoms – Suggests a splenic problem.
Medical Diagnosis of Spleen Issues
If spleen problems are suspected, the doctor will perform a clinical evaluation and order imaging tests. Procedures may include:
Physical exam
The doctor will palpate and percuss the abdomen feeling for spleen enlargement or tenderness. Vital signs will be checked for fever, rapid pulse, or low blood pressure.
Blood tests
A CBC provides information about blood cell levels affected by the spleen. Other tests check for infections or conditions associated with splenic dysfunction.
Medical imaging
- Ultrasound – Uses sound waves to visualize abdominal organs. Can accurately measure spleen size.
- CT scan – Cross-sectional X-ray images define the spleen and other structures.
- MRI – Radio waves produce detailed abdominal images to evaluate the spleen.
- Nuclear scan – Radioactive tracer is injected intravenously then imaged to show spleen status.
Imaging determines if the spleen is enlarged, compressed, or damaged. It also detects potential masses, cysts, abscesses, or hematomas.
Biopsy
A needle biopsy of spleen tissue may be done if certain cancers are suspected. This is avoided if the spleen is markedly enlarged or a rupture is possible.
Once the cause of splenic dysfunction is identified, appropriate treatments can be initiated. This may involve medications, transfusions, surgery, antibiotics, or chemotherapy guided by a specialist.
Conclusion
Checking your own spleen has limitations since the spleen is tucked away deep in the upper left abdomen. Palpation and percussion during a self-exam may pickup an enlarged spleen if significant. Monitoring CBC results over time can also provide clues about spleen function. However, imaging tests and clinical evaluation are needed to properly diagnose spleen issues.
Contact your doctor promptly for left upper abdominal symptoms, unexplained fatigue, or abnormal blood test trends. Early diagnosis of splenic disorders leads to better outcomes with proper treatment to restore normal spleen structure and activity.