The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is a second circulatory system, and it's main function is to return fluid to your blood. When capillaries leak fluid into an area where cells and tissues are, the lymphatic system collects it and returns it to your blood, which can help your body fight off infections. The lymphatic system has lymph capillaries which are vessels, but they're really small, similar to blood capillaries. These collect lost fluid and other particles, then return them to your blood through lymph vessels. The lymph vessels return fluid to the blood in your neck. Often, particles are too big to fit blood capillaries. The other parts of the lymphatic system are bone marrow, lymph nodes, the thymus, the spleen, and the tonsils. Bone marrow can make red and white blood cells but, it can also make lymphocytes which help fend infection. Lymph nodes are small organs that remove dead cells from the fluid in the lymphatic system, usually found in the armpit, neck, and groin. The thymus is a gland, located above your heart, that makes lots of white blood cells to fight infection. The spleen stores and produces lymphocytes, and also helps you produce, store, monitor, and destroy blood cells. Lastly, the tonsils, which are at the back of your mouth, helps you fight infection and can be removed, just like the spleen.
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Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is a part of the immune system. Once infected, it makes your cells grow abnormally, and can spread out beyond the lymphatic system. The symptoms of Hodgkin are the following: swelling in lymph nodes, fever and chills, persistent fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. To treat Hodgkin depends on what stage, and what type you have. You can try chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that kills cell by using chemicals. Radiation uses high-energy beams, like
X-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation is often used after chemo. Stem cell transplant replaces your diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. To learn more about Hodgkin's Lymphoma and treatments click here. |