Enlarged Spleen and Associated Risks of Hypertension

The spleen is a widely misunderstood organ and often is believed to produce no significant health benefit to the body. As a result, when the spleen becomes enlarged, it is often removed due to pain and discomfort and not for reasons that may be life threatening. Contrary to popular belief, the enlargement of the spleen can be a life threatening health complication especially when hypertension is a cause for concern.

Enlarged spleen is a health condition referred to as a splenomegaly. When enlarged, there is a risk for health complications to manifest beyond pain and discomfort. Because the spleen carries an important portal for the flow and circulation of red blood cells, any time there is an enlargement in the spleen, you will find that red blood counts will be abnormal and, therefore, a risk for hypertension may ensue.

When suffering from splenomegaly, and if you have hypertension, your doctor's first concern will be the issues of hypertension and how to reduce the blood pressure. Typically, this will require hospital admission to administer cardiovascular care in an acute setting. Once blood pressure it reduced and almost normalized, your doctor will then recommend surgical removal of the spleen so as to prevent further complications involving flow and circulation of the red blood cells.

In the days and weeks after spleen removal has taken place, it is not uncommon to remain on blood pressure medications to control hypertensive risks. Once you have recovered from the spleen removal surgery, and once your red blood cell count has normalized, most patients can discontinue blood pressure medications and resume normal health activities. Ultimately, however, the red blood cell count will need to be monitored over several months to ensure there are no additional hypertension complications.

When living with complications involving spleen pain, it is important to keep in mind that your spleen, while typically non-essential, can cause complications with hypertension. Lever let an enlarged spleen go unchecked for a period of time as you may risk these complications with hypertension which can lead to long term issues with blood pressure health risks.

Sources: Spleen and Stomach, by Claude Larre