Hyperplasia of the spleen

　　Hyperplasia of the spleen is related to splenomegaly, and the causes of splenomegaly include:

　　1. Infectious diseases

　　Infectious diseases include infectious mononucleosis, subacute bacterial endocarditis, miliary tuberculosis, brucellosis, schistosomiasis, kala-azar, and malaria, etc.

　　2. Immune diseases

　　Immune diseases include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Felty syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and sarcoidosis, etc.

　　3. Congestive diseases

　　Congestive diseases include congestive heart failure, restrictive pericarditis, Budd-Chiari syndrome, liver cirrhosis, portal vein or splenic vein thrombosis, etc.

　　4. Blood system diseases

　　Blood system diseases include hemolytic anemia, infiltrative splenomegaly, etc.

　　5. Diseases of the spleen

　　Diseases of the spleen include splenic lymphoma, splenic cysts, and splenic hemangioma, etc.

　　6. Primary splenomegaly

　　The cause of the disease is unknown.

　　The physiological effects of hyperplasia of the spleen are mainly related to the function of the spleen. When blood passes through the spleen, blood cells are excessively damaged, causing a decrease in the count of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, accompanied by a series of symptoms.

　　1. Spleen embolism and perisplenitis: Severe pain in the upper left abdomen or lower left chest, worsening with respiration, local tenderness and friction, and friction sounds can be heard.

　　2. Combined with various infections: The main reason is the decrease in white blood cells. Severe cases may be life-threatening due to infection, bleeding tendency, etc.

　　Hypersplenism in patients with decreased blood cells can lead to anemia, infection, and tendency to bleeding. Splenomegaly usually has no symptoms and is often discovered during physical examination. Sometimes, the symptoms of a massive spleen are also very mild, and patients may feel discomfort in the abdomen, decreased appetite, or discomfort when lying on one side. If there is pain and friction related to respiration in the left hypochondrium, it often suggests the possibility of splenic infarction.

　　The degree of decrease in blood cells caused by hyperplasia of the spleen due to various reasons is different. Usually, a significant decrease in blood cells is observed in splenomegaly due to congestion. In cases of splenomegaly caused by infiltration, such as chronic leukemia, hyperplasia of the spleen is often not obvious. The degree of splenomegaly in clinical practice is not necessarily parallel to the degree of hyperplasia of the spleen function.

　　Pay attention to protecting the spleen in daily life to reduce the occurrence of spleen diseases

　　1. Method to strengthen the spleen

　　Every morning and before going to bed, you can lie on your back and do sit-ups, 20 to 40 times a day. The elderly should rub their abdomen with both hands, assuming a supine sleeping position, with the navel as the center, and rotate the palms to massage for 20 times. Walking can also nourish the spleen and stomach, increase appetite, and promote the smooth flow of Qi and blood. In addition, to strengthen the spleen, you can choose lotus seeds, silver ear, lily, mung bean, Job's tears, yam, and glutinous rice to make porridge for consumption.

　　2. Warming the spleen method

　　In summer, people are greedy for cold food, which is easy to cause coldness in the spleen and stomach, leading to indigestion. Heat敷 can be used to warm the spleen effectively. Take 100 grams of salt, heat it on the fire, put it in a thicker cloth bag, and place it on the abdomen, which can warm the spleen and dispel coldness, relieve abdominal pain.

　　Splenic hypersplenism usually manifests as abdominal discomfort, and it generally requires the following examinations for diagnosis:

　　1. Splenomegaly.

　　2. Decreased peripheral blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets may decrease simultaneously in one or more (two or three) types.

　　3. Bone marrow hematopoietic cell hyperplasia: bone marrow activity is active or significantly active. In some cases, mild maturation disorders may occur.

　　4. After splenectomy, peripheral blood counts can approach or return to normal.

　　5. After injecting 51Cr-labeled platelets or red blood cells into the body, perform surface scanning to indicate excessive destruction of platelets or red blood cells.

　　The following several soups can effectively regulate the spleen, thus alleviating the symptoms of splenic hypersplenism.

　　1. The clear and nourishing lean meat soup has the mild and cool effects of removing dampness, opening the stomach, removing phlegm, and strengthening the lungs, which is especially suitable for those with weak bodies and those who are not suitable for tonification to drink. It is a timely soup in the summer and autumn season.

　　2. Mung bean and silver ear soup, in addition to clearing summer heat and detoxifying, also has the effect of invigorating the body and enriching the blood.

　　3. Ginseng and bamboo fungus soup, in addition to its cooling and heat-reducing effect, can also invigorate the body and produce juice.

　　4. Ginseng and wheat grass bone soup clears heat and moistens the lungs, and at the same time relieves summer heat and quenches thirst.

　　5. The clear and nourishing soup invigorates the spleen and qi, and at the same time clears heat and moistens the lungs.

　　6. Drink the old cucumber lean meat soup in hot summer to clear heat, relieve summer heat, quench thirst, and diuretic.

　　The removal of the spleen and X-ray radiation therapy cannot eliminate the primary disease causing splenic hypersplenism, so it is generally recommended to treat the primary disease first. If there is no effect, then actively treat the primary disease after splenectomy. The indications for splenectomy include the following points:

　　1. Significant splenomegaly, causing obvious compression symptoms.

　　2. Severe anemia, especially hemolytic anemia.

　　3. There is a significant degree of thrombocytopenia and bleeding symptoms. If the platelet count is normal or slightly reduced, post-splenectomy may result in thrombocytosis, even thrombosis, so it is not advisable to remove the spleen for those with normal or slightly reduced platelets.