The appendix is a small sac-like organ attached to the colon at the junction of the colon and small intestine. This organ is an additional organ. This organ has no function in our body. However, for about 5% of the world’s population, this organ creates an emergency medical situation. The name of that disease is appendicitis.
Common illnesses can sometimes appear as life-threatening problems. In the digestive tract, the vermiform appendix is a three- to four-inch worm-like organ hanging along the sacrum of the colon. Infection and inflammation of this appendix are called appendicitis. Appendicitis inflammation starts suddenly and the symptoms vary according to the severity of the inflammation. This sudden onset of inflammation is acute appendicitis. Inflammation a person with a mild or moderate type of inflammation recovers naturally after taking medication or within a few days, and relapses within a few weeks or months. This condition is called recurrent appendicitis.
Appendicitis can also cause your death. If mucus, parasites or feces get stuck and the mouth of the appendix is closed, then the danger occurs. This results in sudden onset of acute inflammation and infection within a very short time. In this article you will learn about the Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Appendicitis which will increase your awareness about it.
Types of Appendicitis:
There are two common types:
Acute: It occurs suddenly and can be acute in nature. It requires immediate medical attention and is more common than chronic appendicitis.
Chronic: The symptoms in chronic appendicitis are mild and progressive in nature and come and go from time to time. This type is difficult to diagnose and can only be diagnosed if it is transformed into acute appendicitis.
What are the Causes of Appendicitis?
Bacterium causes appendicitis that lives inside the intestinal tract. But for various reasons, that germ gets a chance to attack it. Although we have not yet been able to determine the exact cause of appendicitis, here physicians and medical practitioners have narrowed down the most probable causes leading to this condition. Let’s find out the causes of appendicitis.
It initially develops when an object inside the body obstructs a part of the appendix. The object can be anything like –
- Intestinal worms
- Hard stool
- Physical trauma
- Foreign Body
- Cancer (rare but possible)
Early Symptoms:
See a doctor as soon as the first signs of appendicitis appear. Otherwise, the danger will happen. When it is too late, the appendix explodes and the infection spreads to the entire stomach, including the lower abdomen. This can lead to your blood poisoning and even death. So if you notice any of these symptoms of appendicitis below, contact the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
Rapidly Growing Pain
The pain of appendicitis increases very quickly. Many times it becomes severe within just a few hours. Sometimes the pain is so intense that it can even wake the patient from a deep sleep.
Pain Around the Navel
The appendix is located on the right side of our lower abdomen and that’s where you’ll feel the pain. This pain will first start with mild pain around the navel. Later it will spread sharply on the right side of the lower abdomen. It can also spread to the left side. The pain is exacerbated by walking, moving the legs or lower abdomen, laughing, coughing or sneezing, or shaking while driving on a bumpy road.
High Fever, Chills and Shivering
These symptoms usually indicate that there is an infection somewhere in your body. But with this, if there is severe pain in the lower abdomen, then these symptoms are definitely the manifestation of appendicitis.
Nausea, and Repeated Vomiting
Even if there is an infection in the stomach, such symptoms appear. If a person vomits continuously for 12 hours in a row and has severe pain in the lower abdomen as well as diarrhea, you should consider him to have appendicitis.
Anorexia Nervosa
If you have severe pain in the lower abdomen, vomiting, and diarrhea along with anorexia, you should understand that you have appendicitis.
Diarrhea or Constipation
If you have abdominal pain for 2-3 days with diarrhea or constipation, it is a sign of appendicitis. If mucus comes out with the stool and there is a pain in the right side of the lower abdomen, it is also a sign of appendicitis.
Stomach Bloating and Flatulence
Stomach bloating and persistent flatulence can sometimes occur naturally. But after eight hours of continuous sleep, if the bloating does not go away and lasts for the next few days, then you have the disease. In addition, you will have pain in the lower abdomen.
Pain in the Abdomen
If there is a pain when the right side of the lower abdomen is pressed, it is also a big symptom of adnexitis. However, it is better not to put pressure on the lower abdomen, as this can cause your appendix to explode.
Increased Rate of White Blood Cells
It is an infection. And if you do a blood test at this time, you will see a high rate of white blood cells in the blood. The body’s immune system increases the number of white blood cells in the blood when it fights a major infection inside the body.
If you notice any one or more of these symptoms, go to the doctor and hospital immediately. Any medicine cannot treat it. The only cure for this is to cut off that useless organ called the appendix through surgery before it explodes.
Complications of Appendicitis:
Failure to diagnose and treat at the right time can lead to serious complications from appendicitis. For example, if the appendicular lamp does not receive proper treatment within 36-48 hours of this, the body’s own immune system builds a defense wall around appendicitis to limit the transmission of it. If the appendicular abscess or abscess infection is severe or antibiotics are not effective, pus will accumulate around the appendix in the appendix lump.
This complication usually occurs within a week of the onset of appendicitis. In this case, the patient’s fever and illness increase, and the pain and sensitivity of the right side of the lower abdomen increases locally. The most serious complication is rupture of the appendix with infection and inflammation. This complication usually occurs within the first 12 hours of acute appendicitis. Children and the elderly are victims of this complication. Because, in both cases, people delay the diagnosis. Appendix rupture causes infection or peritonitis and the patient becomes seriously ill. If this condition is prolonged, the infection spreads throughout the body through the blood and there is a risk of death.
Diagnosis of Appendicitis
The following are some diagnostic tests for this:
- CT scan / MRI / X-ray
- Ultrasound
- Complete blood count or CBC test
- Urine test (to determine the presence of infection)
- Rectal examination
- Physical examination (to access the level of pain, inflammation, discomfort)
Treatment:
Depending on your age, severity, and other variables, your doctor may recommend some non-invasive treatment modalities, such as antibiotics, pain relief, and a liquid diet.
However, in most cases of appendicitis, surgery is the best option for a complete cure, and “appendectomy” is the most common treatment for this. This standard form of treatment not only eliminates the swollen limb but also protects against the risk of rupture of the appendix.
Once it confirms appendicitis, surgery is the treatment of choice. Any of the following methods may perform an appendectomy:
Laparoscopic Surgery
It is the most preferred method as it takes relatively less time to recover after it. In this surgery, a flexible tube with special equipment and an attached camera is used to locate and remove the exact location of the appendix through a few small holes in the abdomen.
Laparotomy
In this surgery, doctors make only one hole to remove the appendix. It makes a cut on the lower right side of the abdomen. This procedure is more desirable if there is an infection of the lining or lining of the abdominal cavity.
Open Surgery
Doctors treat with open surgery instead of laparoscopy when: A person with the disease has undergone plastic surgery before and when the appendix is torn.
Antibiotic Therapy
According to some studies that compare the results of different surgeries and antibiotic treatments because antibiotics dissolve 70% of appendix cases without the need for any surgery. People usually get antibiotics who are too weak to undergo any surgery. If this disease ruptures, the pus is immediately removed and antibiotics are applied until the patient’s white blood cell count and body temperature return to normal.
The main treatment for appendicitis is the emergency surgical removal of the infected and inflamed appendix. If the disease is suspected in the early stages according to the signs and symptoms of appendicitis, it is better to forbid the patient to eat anything orally, or even to refer him to a specialist immediately without applying for any medicine.
Postoperative Care for Recovery
For the next few weeks after your appendicitis surgery, here are some basic lifestyle steps you should take to ensure a speedy recovery:
- Do not take the antibiotics unless your doctor prescribes them
- If you still have a fever, keep a record of the body temperature every 2 hours. Bring it with you when you see your next doctor
- Do not use painkillers. It is difficult to tell if appendicitis is getting better or worse if you take pain medication
- If you go for another health check-up the next day, do not drink or eat anything
- Do not use laxatives or enemas; The risk of a ruptured appendix can increase them
- Get plenty of rest and get enough sleep. It helps to recover faster from an appendectomy.
Conclusion:
There is no way without treatment of the disease. But it is also possible to prevent it by making lifestyle changes. A regular diet should include vegetables and grains. This will allow the good bacteria in the appendix to work. Adequate water intake will reduce the chances of constipation. There will be no sudden infection.