Enlarged Spleen & Fatty Liver: Causes of Swelling - Expert Advice

Question
hello hope your doing better. my girlfreind has an enlarged spleen and a fatty liver. can this make her swell  for no reason. she can eat something and her stomach will swell up. she also has nerve damage and also has diabetes. her left leg and foot will swell so big it looks like it is going to bust. so what im asking is can the swelling come from a enlarged slpeen or something else? hope i gave you enough if not let me know. thanks for your help. take care

Answer
richard;

your spleen is located in the upper-left part of your abdomen,protected by the rib-cage. it has at least four major roles;
-as part of the immune system,it clears foreign organisms and antigens from the blood-stream. it also generates part of the antibody response to foreign invaders;
-it helps remove abnormal blood cells from the blood-stream;
-it helps regulate blood flow to the liver;
-under some conditions,it may become a major site for producing blood cells;
normally,a doctor cant feel your spleen because its located under the rib cage. in some situations,though,the spleen enlarges[splenomegaly]and can be felt. this enlargement may occur without symptoms,or it may be accompanied by pain.
acute enlargement of the spleen may be caused by bleeding within the organ. the bleeding may be the result of trauma to the left rib cage or upper abdomen. enlargement can occur with the following;

-diseases resulting from immune system dysfunction,such as rheumatoid arthritis,systemic lupus erthematosus and immunohemolytic anemia;
-diseases that obstruct the flow of blood to the liver,such as cirrhosis,obstruction of the major vein to the liver[portal vein]and congestive heart failure with back-up of blood flow into the liver;
-diseases in which abnormal red blood cells are present,such as thalassemia and sickle-cell disease;
-diseases that cause infiltration of abnormal cells into the spleen,including cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma and the noncancerous condition amyloidosis;
-diseases such as infectious mononucleosis,tuberculosis,histoplasmosis,bacterial endocarditis and malaria. with these diseases,spleen enlargement is typically accompanied by fever;

to further evaluate an enlarged spleen,a doctor may order tests such as an ultrasound or a computerized tomography[CT]scan,and treatment will be directed at the underlying cause. sometimes,to make the correct diagnosis,the spleen needs to be surgically removed.

your girlfriend is a very ill lady,i suggest you taking care of her,she is to put her legs up,because of the swelling.
cut back on her intake of salt.

this is all due to her spleen.
if she needs answer,she needs to talk with her doctor;

i hope all of this info helps;

catherine;