Caring for the spleen is essential to ensure its proper functioning, as this small organ located on the left side of the abdomen performs vital functions in the process of digestion and the immune system. Sometimes certain diseases or conditions can harm you and cause what’s known as a swollen spleen or, medically speaking, splenomegaly. In addition to treating the illness behind the inflammation of the spleen medically, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle and promote the cleaning of this organ to leave it free of toxins that can damage it. In this FastlyHealarticle, we show which are the best natural remedies for a swollen spleen, which are very useful to improve its functions, reduce inflammation and alleviate the symptoms experienced.
Table of Contents
Causes and symptoms of a swollen spleen
Spleen inflammation is usually a symptom of an underlying disease or condition, so the latter should be identified first; Among the most common causes of a swollen spleen are the following:
- Bacterial or viral infections.
- Liver diseases
- Blood diseases.
- Cancer.
- Metabolic diseases.
- Heart failure.
Although a swollen spleen can vary considerably from one person to another, some warning signs are pains in the upper left of the abdomen, loss of appetite, hiccups, anemia, tiredness, weakness, and bleeding wounds. Consult your doctor about these symptoms and find out if you should start any specific treatment.
Maintain excellent hydration
To begin with, we must emphasize the importance of drinking plenty of water during the day when the spleen is inflamed. Ingesting the recommended daily amount of water (between 1.5 and 2 liters) is essential to ensure the proper functioning of this organ and to keep it free of toxins and waste that can compromise your good health in the short and long term.
In addition to the above, drinking plenty of water will help you combat the general tiredness and weakness that spleen inflammation usually causes and allow you to be more energetic when you get up and perform any physical effort successfully.
Purifying infusions to reduce inflammation of the spleen
Among the best natural remedies for a swollen spleen are depurative infusions, which eliminate toxins from the body and leave the organs free of accumulations of waste that can damage them. Many of these preparations also have very beneficial anti-inflammatory properties.
The best infusions to reduce inflammation of the spleen are the following:
- Horsetail infusion: eliminates toxins, is anti-inflammatory, and relieves abdominal pain that can cause an enlarged spleen.
- Dandelion infusion is very diuretic and purifying, so it effectively eliminates all accumulated toxins and combats anemia, a condition associated with inflammation of the spleen.
- Nettle infusion: it has potent anti-inflammatory properties, increases the secretion of gastric juices, and favors digestion.
- Appletree tea helps cleanse the lymphatic system and, therefore, reduces the inflammation of the spleen.
- Parsley tea: favors the elimination of toxins through the urine and improves intestinal transit.
Take about 2 cups a day of some of these infusions to begin to notice the results, and you will see how little by minor the symptoms are reduced. It is essential that before consuming them, you inform yourself about their contraindications and side effects.
Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice is one of the most effective remedies to clean the spleen naturally and prevent and treat its inflammation. On the one hand, these small fruits have the property of fluidizing the blood and cleansing the lymphatic system, and, on the other, it favors the cleaning of the organs through urine, which is very important to prevent bacterial infections that can end up damaging the spleen and causing its enlargement.
To prepare a cranberry juice, you have to follow the steps listed below:
- Wash 2 cups of blueberries with cold water.
- In the blender, add the blueberries, 1 cup of cold water, and the juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon.
- Process at medium power until the liquid is obtained.
- Pour into a glass and drink cold or at room temperature.
Drink one glass of blueberry juice twice a day, once in the morning and the evening, and do not forget to combine it with a large water intake.
In addition to being a good home remedy for a swollen spleen, it is also for cystitis, so we recommend that you consult the article Cranberry juice for urinary infection.
Apple oatmeal smoothie
One of the main symptoms of a swollen spleen is the loss of appetite, and, for this, the oatmeal and apple smoothie can be very beneficial and vital since it provides many nutrients and helps to strengthen that organ naturally. But not only this, it is one of the best natural remedies for an inflamed spleen because it favors the purification of the liver and improves its functions. Is that in many cases, the enlargement of the spleen occurs as a consequence of liver diseases?
To prepare the oatmeal and apple smoothie, you have to follow the following steps:
- Cut one green apple into pieces, keeping its skin.
- In the blender, add three tablespoons of oatmeal, one glass of water, the apple, and a few drops of lemon juice.
- Process all the ingredients until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Take this smoothie about ten days a month for breakfast to take advantage of all its benefits.
Good foods for the spleen
In addition to the above home remedies for an inflamed spleen, it is also essential to pay attention to the diet when suffering from this condition and to include those foods that promote the recovery of this organ.
It is recommended to follow a balanced and healthy diet, including more vegetables and fresh fruit, especially foods rich in antioxidants, such as citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, bluefish, garlic, olive oil, tomato, and avocado, ginger, etc.
On the contrary, consuming foods that are very difficult to digest and process should be avoided, such as dairy products, white bread, white pasta, sugar-rich foods, and red meat.
Diet for a swollen spleen
You have to follow a series of recommendations when eating with a swollen spleen. Here we explain how the diet for a swollen spleen should be :
Forbidden foods for a swollen spleen
The foods forbidden for the swollen spleen could be summarized in a simple phrase: you should not consume those difficult foods to digest. Thus, among the most common products, you should avoid the consumption of refined carbohydrates and choose whole grains, eliminate white sugar from the diet and opt for all those foods that improve digestion. Among the list of prohibited foods for an inflamed spleen, we can find:
- Dairy products.
- White bread.
- White paste.
- Foods are high in sugar.
- Red meat.
- Fried foods.
- Bakery products.
- Alcohol.
Good foods for a swollen spleen
Beyond the natural remedies that we have already explained throughout the article, certain foods will help you treat this condition, improve digestion and prevent inflammation of the spleen. Among the good eats for a swollen spleen are:
- Foods with fluoride: fluoride is a product that can improve inflammation of the spleen. Some foods that can be good for you to improve your functioning are carrots, parsley, or grapes.
- Citrus juices: Citrus fruits are other foods that can improve a swollen spleen. Citrus fruits such as lemon or orange can be excellent foods to detoxify this organ.
- Purifying infusions: they can be an excellent food for a swollen spleen, perfect for taking in the morning or after each meal. These cleansing infusions good for a swollen spleen are parsley, dandelion, or apple tree tea.
- Antioxidant foods: the diet must be balanced and healthy. That is why it must be eminently made up of fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition, it is convenient to add foods rich in antioxidants such as green leafy vegetables, bluefish, olive oil, garlic, ginger, avocado, kiwi, or germ.
- Hydration: whether you have spleen problems or not, hydration is essential for our body to stay healthy. You should consume enough water daily, between 1.5 and 2 liters, depending on your lifestyle.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Natural remedies for a swollen spleen, we recommend that you enter our Immune system category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.