Appendicitis Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

What is Appendicitis?

It is a condition wherein your appendix tends to become inflamed, swollen and pus-filled. An appendix is basically a finger shaped pouch positioned at your abdomen’s right side connected to your colon.
Appendicitis tends to cause pain which typically starts around the navel shifting to the lower right abdomen. The pain can become extremely severe for an individual to bear. The condition can affect everyone, though mostly hits individuals between ten – thirty years of ages. Moreover, the standard treatment for appendicitis is the surgical appendix removal.

What are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?

Few symptoms of the condition include:
• Aching pain which typically starts around the navel shifting to the lower right abdomen.
• Gradually, the pain may get sharper over some hours.
• The pain that gets worse while walking or coughing.
• Vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Low temperature fever.
• Diarrhea.
• Constipation.
• Abdominal swelling.

What Causes Appendicitis?

Exact cause is not clear till date. Though, appendicitis may occur due to:
• An infection: for example gastrointestinal viral infection.
• An obstruction: a stool’s hard piece (fecal stone) or a food waste may block the cavity opening that runs your appendix’s length.

Generally, in both the cases, bacteria tend to multiply rapidly (inside your appendix), causing it to become swollen, pus-filled and inflamed. If it is not treated quickly, your appendix may rupture.

What are the complications?

The condition, if not treated can cause severe complications:
• Ruptured appendix.
• A pus pocket formed in your abdomen.

How is Appendicitis Diagnosed?

Procedures and tests your doctor may suggest you in order to diagnose the condition are:
• Physical exam in order to assess the pain.
• Urine test.
• Blood test.
• Imaging tests: X-ray and CT scan.

How is Appendicitis Treated?

The treatment of appendicitis mostly involves surgery (appendectomy) for removing your inflamed appendix. Appendectomy is conducted as:

• Open surgery: is done using single abdominal incision which is around two-four inches.
• Laparoscopic operation: involves some minor abdominal incisions. While conducting laparoscopic appendectomy, your surgeon will insert a video camera and specific surgical tools into the abdomen for removing the appendix.

In case the appendix has rupture whilst abscess has formed, then draining such abscess can be done through inserting a tube into your abscess through the skin. After few weeks, appendectomy can then be performed.

Preventive measures after the treatment:

You may take some weeks to recover from appendectomy. In case the appendix rupture, it can take even longer for recovering. While this recovery period, few steps can help the body heal for example:
• Avoid tiring activities initially (in case of laparoscopic operation).
• Support the abdomen while coughing.
• Contact your doctor in case the pain relievers are not helping.
• Gradually start and increase the activity when you feel you are ready.
• Take naps when you feel fatigue.
• Discuss returning back to school or work with the doctor when you feel you are ready.

 

By : Natural Health News