Potential Causes And Risk Factors For An Enlarged Spleen

The spleen is a spongy, violet-red smallish organ on the left side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm, behind the ribcage and a little behind the stomach. Though individuals can live without their spleen, its job is to clean toxins from the blood and store healthy red blood cells. The spleen also shunts blood to the liver. The spleen usually can’t be felt when a doctor palpates the area, and it’s considered enlarged when it can be felt. An enlarged spleen is called splenomegaly, and while it’s not a disease in itself, it’s an indication there’s a problem somewhere in the body.