• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Joy of Wellness

Living better and longer, Natural Health

Main navigation

The Joy of Wellness

What? Would you like to find?
Browse by categories
  • Weight Loss
  • Health and Beauty
  • Diets and Nutrition
  • Natural Remedies
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Life in Fullness
  • The Joy of Wellness from A to Z
  • All topics

Hepatomegaly (Enlarged Liver and Spleen): Causes and Natural Treatment

  • Muscle Spasms or Cramps in the Neck, Abdomen, Legs, etc.
  • Lupus: Causes, Natural Remedies, and more...

Published: 08/09/2015 - Updated: 07/31/2021

Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes

Hepatomegaly is a swelling or enlargement of the liver or spleen, making it larger than its normal size.  This could cause it to spill over into areas where other organs lie, causing certain types of discomfort.

Hepatomegaly (Enlarged Liver and Spleen): Causes and Natural Treatment

The liver is one of the body’s primary organs, and it performs a long list of bodily functions.  It is the largest organ in the body and one of the fastest to regenerate.  It can repair itself.  Some of its most important functions include transforming food to energy, absorbing cholesterol, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and fats in the small intestine, as well as eliminating alcohol, toxins and harmful substances, which is why it is considered to be an extremely important cleansing organ.  It also metabolized carbohydrates, balances glucose, synthesizes, stores and mobilizes glycogen, it metabolizes lipids, bilirubin, and breaks down proteins for hormones.

The spleen, on the other hand, is the size of a fist and is located close to the stomach.  It is absolutely fundamental for the body’s defense systems, and helps produce and store blood cells as part of the circulatory system.  It is vital for survival.

Contents

  • Hepatomegaly causes
  • Hepatomegaly symptoms
  • What to do if you have hepatomegaly
  • References

Hepatomegaly causes

Causes that lead to a swollen liver or spleen, or that could cause it to grow disproportionately, include:

  • Excessive or disproportionate alcohol consumption.
  • Liver cancer or metastasis
  • Obesity
  • Malnutrition
  • High triglycerides
  • Diabetes
  • Heart failure
  • Leukemia
  • Niemann-Pick disease
  • Hepatitis A, B, or C
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Hemochromatosis
  • Fructose intolerance
  • Cirrhosis of the liver

Hepatomegaly symptoms

Generally there are no symptoms in cases that are not severe.  The liver has no nerve endings, and the brain is unable to receive signals of imbalances.  However, an abnormally large liver will create noticeable symptoms when the liver starts to overtake other organs, like the pancreas, stomach, etc.  In this case, one would experience the following symptoms:

  • Intense pain and abdominal distension (very inflamed stomach)
  • Nausea, sometimes vomiting or dizziness
  • Sensitivity or feeling heavy in the right side of the abdomen (when the liver is inflamed), or on the left side of the abdomen (when the spleen is inflamed).
  • Jaundice, yellow skin discoloration.
  • Color of the urine or feces may change.

What to do if you have hepatomegaly

DIET: Support your healing with a light diet, eating papaya for breakfast with a bit of raw oatmeal.  When following this diet, you should eat a lot of raw and steamed vegetables, vegetable soups, and avoid anything that contains alcohol, vinagers and irritating products.  Leave all meats out for the moment, along with cow’s milk and its byproducts.  You should avoid cheeses and butter, especially if it is the liver that is affected.  White sugar should be substituted for brown sugar or honey, but you should use as little sweeteners as possible.  Try to snack on seeds, walnuts, almonds, etc., along with whole grain rice, dandelion teas that help the liver, and include aloe in your vegetables juices and lentils.  Eat whole grain bread and extra-virgin olive oil.  Remember that at this moment, your liver or spleen is having a very difficult time in processing what you are eating, which is why it is important that you eat the lightest diet possible.

REST: You need absolute rest, getting out of all of your obligations and resting.  Let the world go on turning without you, and meditate a little on things that worry you, that make you tense or that irritate you.  Rest is absolutely necessary for your body to regain energy once again.  Resting also cultivates your spirit.

SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION: often times we live such a quick life, full of so many worries, that we ignore our feelings.  It is important that you pay attention to what you feel, surround yourself with books that help feed your spirit at this moment.  This condition is related to how you focus on your life.  Make sure you are not worrying too much about the people around you, or that you’re not angry about something that hasn’t been completely resolved.  I recommend you read the book “You can Heal your Life” by Louise L. Hay.

  • 5 health and beauty tricks with olive oil
    MORE IN THE JOY OF WELLNESS
    5 health and beauty tricks with olive oil

References

  1. Hay, L.L. 1984. You can heal your life. Paperback: 272 pages. Publisher: Hay House Inc.; 2 edition (January 1, 1984). Language: English. ISBN-10: 9780937611012. ISBN-13: 978-0937611012. ASIN: 0937611018

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 07/31/2021 linkedin

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Loading...

About the author

By MSc. Miriam Reyes

Mire Reyes has a mayor in nutrition and is a renowned therapist with years of experience in the care of overweight patients and nutritional problems. She offers help from her therapeutic approach that brings together the best of conventional therapies and alternative or complementary therapies. Linkedin

X
Fact Checked
This article is based on contrasted facts, technical reports and scientific studies carried out by expert researchers and doctors in the field. These studies have the endorsement of the prestigious international media in which they were published. References to these studies appear at the end of the text, in a specific section, or marked in brackets such as (1), (2),....

The articles on this website are written by a team of experts in dietetics, nutrition, beauty, emotional well-being and healthy living habits who approach the topics in an objective, impartial and honest way, to offer the different existing points of view on the nutrition and dietetics topics they deal with.
Reader Interactions

You may also be interested

  • Temper Tantrums and Conniption Fits in Children Temper Tantrums and Conniption Fits in Children A lot of parents believe that with threats, punishments, yelling and reprimands, their child will [...]
  • Headache and Migraine Causes that you didn't know about, and how to treat them Headache and Migraine Causes that you didn't know about, and how to treat them Do you have a headache that just won't go away?  Are you unable to find [...]
  • Breast Fibroids (Lumps in the Breast): Causes and Natural Treatment Breast Fibroids (Lumps in the Breast): Causes and Natural Treatment Do you have lumps in your breast?  Don't worry.  Breast fibroids are also known as [...]

You are here: The Joy of Wellness » Diets and Nutrition » Hepatomegaly (Enlarged Liver and Spleen): Causes and Natural Treatment

All about Health and Beauty

  • Breast Fibroids (Lumps in the Breast): Causes and Natural Treatment Breast Fibroids (Lumps in the Breast): Causes and Natural Treatment Do you have lumps in your breast?  Don't worry.  Breast fibroids are also known as [...]
  • Dietary fluoride Dietary fluoride A good balance of dietary minerals is absolutely indispensable for the body to be healthy, [...]
  • Appendicitis: post-operation teas, herbs and juices Appendicitis: post-operation teas, herbs and juices The appendix is the last part of the large intestine, which is a small finger-shaped [...]
  • Lupus: Causes, Natural Remedies, and more... Lupus: Causes, Natural Remedies, and more... Lupus is an chronic autoimmune disease (that creates antibodies), whereby the immune system (the body's [...]
  • The Mind, Emotions and Jazz: cure yourself through Rhythm The Mind, Emotions and Jazz: cure yourself through Rhythm Music is the vibrating and expansive sound of the cosmos.  All music contains frequency levels [...]
Footer
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2023 · The Joy of Wellness
   
Disclaimer  About Us  Cookies Policy  Privacy Policy  Contact  Topics
The services, content and products on our website are for information purposes only. The Joy of Wellness does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment