A lot of individuals have heard of an enlarged liver. Fewer people, though, known what an enlarged spleen is. Fewer still probably know about a condition in which both of these medical problems materialize at the same time.

An enlarged liver is called hepatomegaly by doctors. Enlarged spleens are known as splenomegaly. Some individuals get both an enlarged liver and spleen at the same time, in which case the condition is called hepatosplenomegaly. Most people simply call the disorder enlarged liver and spleen disease.

It should be noted, however, that neither an enlarged liver nor an enlarged spleen are regarded as diseases themselves. Instead, they are a symptom of some other condition.

So, what causes enlarged liver and spleen? And, equally important, are they especially risky to your general health?

In general, an enlarged liver is the result of an infection. It can also be due to toxins like illegal drugs, alcohol, or harmful substances in your environment. Often liver enlargement is triggered by some other medical affliction. It could also be due to a metabolic affliction.

An enlarged spleen, on the other hand, occurs because of conditions or diseases that cause destruction of red blood cells in the spleen.

Hepatosplenomegaly, the combination of enlarged liver and spleen, is normally caused by a disease or condition involving the kidneys, liver or red blood cells. These would consist of viral infections, such as chronic hepatitis C, cirrhosis, typhoid, kidney and liver infections and blood diseases. If an individual has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for example, the liver and spleen grow in size as the cancer progresses. This can cause strong pain in the liver area. A few hereditary disorders as sickle cell anemia also precipitate spleen and liver enlargement.

Enlarged liver and spleen may possibly be perplexing for doctors to diagnose because there aren't many symptoms. Some clues do exist, however, and they can help your doctor make a diagnosis. The most distinguishable of these is trouble digesting large meals and liver pain. Your may possibly need to undergo a few tests to get a firm diagnosis.

As mentioned above, symptoms of enlarged liver and spleen are frequently not pronounced, so in many cases, you you won't be aware the enlargement is taking place. Mild pain when you touch or put pressure on the area around the liver may be one of the first perceptible signs.

If you're currently experiencing such irritation, make certain to discuss it with your medical care provider. Treatment generally depends on identifying the underlying cause and will focus on decreasing the swelling. The main idea will be to minimize the swelling and irritation. Depending on the reason for the enlarged organs, antibiotics may well be appropriate, but this is not true in all instances.

In most cases, you don't have to be concerned about a ruptured spleen. It can occur however, and if it does, there's frequently a serious blood loss. It can even be fatal. For this reason, enlarged liver and spleen should be rapidly treated by a medical professional.