10 Enlarged Spleen Symptoms
9. Shortness of Breath
Dyspnea is the medical term used to describe sudden shortness of breath. It is characterized by having difficulty breathing which may or may not be associated with a feeling of tightness in the chest. Dyspnea is a non-specific symptom that can be associated with both respiratory and circulatory conditions. It is important to state that exercise-induced dyspnea is usually a normal and transitory state of air hunger which is not directly related to a disease, whereas, resting shortness of breath is usually a sign that something might be wrong.
The anemia seen in blood disorders like thalassemia major and spherocytosis can cause a patient to experience shortness of breath. As the oxygen supply to the tissues becomes compromised, dyspnea appears. Both of these blood disorders are known causes of splenomegaly, therefore, in the presence of splenomegaly and shortness of breath, anemia should be considered as a possible cause.
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