Causes Of Appendicitis<\/h2>\n
Although it can strike at any age, appendicitis is most likely to occur between the ages of 10 and 30<\/strong>. It is more common in males than females. In young people, appendicitis is usually caused by enlargement of the lymphatic follicles present inside the appendix that lead to blockage of its lumen. Whereas in older people, the main cause of the blockage is a fecalith <\/em>(a hard mass of feces). Tumors may also cause the blockage. The appendix then becomes inflamed and produces secretions. These secretions, when unable to escape, cause the appendix to swell and irritate the adjoining abdominal wall. The end result is a burst appendix, releasing bacteria into the abdominal cavity and causing further complications.<\/p>\n Common symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, Nausea<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a> and lack of appetite. However, about 40% people do no show these classical symptoms. Appendicitis can be detected before rupture if given timely medical attention. If you or someone in your care develops the following signs, go to a physician immediately.<\/p>\n The site of pain may vary according to age and position of the appendix. In pregnant women, it may seem to come from the upper abdomen. The pain may not necessarily begin in the standard lower right region; it may begin in the navel area and move to the right side over a period of a few hours to a few days. Appendicitis pain can be the worst abdominal pain of your life. \u00a0Whether or not it\u2019s appendicitis, it is essential that you seek medical attention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not everyone suffering from appendicitis experiences lack of appetite, but abdominal pain while feeling nauseous and vomiting necessitates a visit to the emergency room.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Appendicitis can affect the nervous system which may lead to lack of focus and poor cognitive abilities. Dr. Gingold explains the brain fog effect: \u201cIt\u2019s not that anything is going on in the brain \u2013 just that the infection is getting worse and expending a lot of body resources including oxygen, so the brain doesn\u2019t get enough and doesn\u2019t work normally.\u201d<\/p>\n The presence of chills and fever indicates that there is inflammation somewhere in the body. Chills and fevers while experiencing abdominal pains and nausea may point towards appendicitis.<\/p>\n For 32% of the people, the appendix is in the pelvic position i.e. in the lower abdomen right next to the bladder. An inflamed appendix can irritate or inflame the bladder, resulting in not only frequent need to urinate but also pain while urinating.<\/p>\n Other symptoms include abdominal bloating, constipation or diarrhea, and worsening of pain upon coughing, walking or other jarring movements.<\/p>\n The most common complication of appendicitis is ruptured appendix which occurs in cases not diagnosed timely. The infection can spread to the entire lining of the abdominal wall, causing widespread inflammation.<\/p>\n Appendicitis is generally classified into two main types based on the period of development of your symptoms:<\/p>\n Acute appendicitis<\/strong> is more common, develops over a few days or less and shows classical symptoms of the disease making diagnosis easier.<\/p>\n Chronic appendicitis<\/strong> accounts for 1 to 2% of all cases of appendicitis, develops slowly and requires ongoing treatment for inflammation.<\/p>\n After the primary symptom, which in pain, the other symptoms manifest within 24 hours. The time it takes for the blockage to form until the appendix bursts are only 72 hours, and sometimes less. Therefore you must see a doctor and diagnosis and treatment must be done within this time period to prevent further complications.<\/p>\n Diagnosis is based on a history of signs and symptoms, and physical examination. The symptoms may be vague, or similar to other diseases such as Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a>, gastritis, urinary tract infection, intestinal infection and ovary problems.<\/p>\n Tests and procedures used for diagnosis of appendicitis include:<\/p>\n The physician may apply light pressure to the stomach to detect inflammation. A sudden release of pressure causes sudden sharp pain. This is known as \u2018rebound tenderness\u2019. Increased pain on palpating a specific area on the lower right abdomen called the Petit triangle <\/em>is known as Aure-Rozanova\u2019s sign<\/em>. Whereas increased pain in the lower right abdomen while coughing is known as Dunphy\u2019s sign.<\/em><\/p>\n A blood test is done to examine the levels of white blood cells, primarily the neutrophils, in the blood. About 70 to 90% of the people with appendicitis show an elevated white blood cell count due to infection.<\/p>\n Your physician may want you to have a urine test in order to rule out urinary tract infection or kidney stones that may be causing the pain.<\/p>\n Your physician may also want you to have an ultrasound or a CT scan to confirm appendicitis or to rule other other causes of pain.<\/p>\n Use of MRI for diagnosis of appendicitis has become increasingly common for children and pregnant women because of its lesser health risks as compared to radiation.<\/p>\n Treatment usually involves surgical removal (appendectomy) of the inflamed appendix. A dose of antibiotics may be given before surgery to fight infection of the abdominal cavity. Appendectomy is performed as an open surgery using a 5 to 10 cm long abdominal incision. Surgery usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour and 2 to 3 days stay at the hospital. Full recovery occurs within 2 to 3 weeks.<\/p>\n After an appendectomy, call your doctor if you have:<\/p>\n An alternate and more advanced procedure is laparoscopy which is done through a few small incisions. During a laparoscopic appendectomy, the surgeon inserts surgical tools and a camera into your abdomen to remove your appendix. If the appendix has already ruptured and the infection has spread, you may need an open appendectomy so that the abdominal cavity can be cleaned.<\/p>\n Symptoms And Causes Of Diverticulitis<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\nSigns and symptoms of appendicitis<\/h2>\n
Early Signs<\/h3>\n
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Abdominal Pain<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Lack of appetite and nausea<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Nausea\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fnfdoc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Nausea.jpg?resize=843%2C411\" "\\"Nausea\\"")
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Foggy thinking, confusion, and fatigue<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Chills and fever<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Frequent urination and pain while urinating<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Other symptoms<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Complications<\/h2>\n
Types Of Appendicitis<\/h2>\n
![\"Types](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fnfdoc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Types-Of-Appendicitis.jpg?resize=843%2C426\")
Acute And Chronic<\/h3>\n
Diagnosis And Treatment<\/h2>\n
Tests<\/h2>\n
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Physical abdominal examination<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Blood Test<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Urine Test<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Ultrasound or CT scan<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Treatment<\/h2>\n
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Read Our More Detailed Article About The Related Topic<\/h3>\n