Appendicitis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

If you would like to learn more about appendicitis and how you can treat it properly, this is article that could help you.  This article will focus on the causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease and how you might be able to detect the genesis of the disease beforehand.
However, let us first define what appendicitis is and what it can do to your body.  But knowing this, you would be able to prepare yourself for any inevitability that may happen because of the condition.

Definition of Terms
Appendicitis refers to a condition wherein the appendix of a patient experiences swelling, infection and overall damage that can result to rupturing from inside the body.  If this happens, it can lead to a lot of complications and health problems for the patient.

Appendicitis Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms that you need to watch out for when it comes to appendicitis.  These are as follows.  If you experience any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you go to your doctor right away to get treatment as soon as possible.

• Decreasing desire to eat
• Abdominal tenderness specifically within the lower-right quadrant of the abdomen
• Other patients may experience no tender parts in the abdominal area. In addition, the pain may spread into different areas of the abdomen for children.  In adults there would be lesser pain experienced.
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Constipation
• Gas

If the patient has a more advanced type of appendicitis, it is more likely that he will have the following symptoms:

• Swelling
• Rigidity
• Pain

Appendicitis Causes
Some of the known possible causes of appendicitis would be infection and an obstruction in the tubes of the appendix.  In addition to this, this condition in generally strike at ages 10 to 30.  However, it is known to strike at any age.

Basic Meaning and Implications
If this happens, it may mean that there is an inflammation and that it has spread into the abdominal area. These are the reasons why you should go to your doctor right away to have it treated.  If you don’t do so right away, the symptoms will escalate in severity and become severe peritonitis. This would be extremely life threatening.
The greatest problem with appendicitis will happen when the appendix ruptures.  If this happens, all the bacteria and bodies that cause inflammation in the appendix will spread into the cavity and bloodstream. This can cause severe infection for the patient.
It can happen that there would be a build-up of scars that can form abscesses surrounding the appendix.  This may reduce the risk of having infections because it will protect the abdominal area from being infected by the pus inside.  However, if this happens it will certainly complicate things because this may require two complete surgeries as treatment.

Appendicitis Diagnosis
As a patient, at the suspicion of appendicitis, you should try to circumvent taking laxatives in order to prevent the immediate rupturing of your appendix.  Appendicitis is typically determined by undergoing a clinical diagnosis.  The doctors will have to run some tests in order to check the degree and position of the inflammation in your abdomen.
After the physical examination, blood work ups may also be completed to see any possible infections.  Urine samples may also be taken to eliminate any possibility of infection within the urinary tract.  This is basically done because both conditions may present similar symptoms.
Here are some additional procedures that can be taken to make sure if you do or do not have appendicitis.

• Ultrasound
• Abdominal CT scans

This is done if other tests are inconclusive.  In addition to this, there are other known diseases that can be confused with appendicitis.  These are as follows:

• Colitis
• Tubal pregnancy
• Crohn’s disease
• Gastritis
• Problems in the ovaries
• Gastroenteritis

Appendicitis Treatment Methods
According to experts, the best way to treat appendicitis is to remove the appendix through surgery.  This is what you call an appendectomy.  It is a simple operation that can be done despite duped the appendix being ruptured.
In addition to this, the patient may also be given antibiotics before surgery.  The series of antibiotics may also be continued during recovery to prevent bacteria from entering the abdominal area before, during and after the procedure.
There is another type of appendectomy that surgeons usually use.  This procedure is called Laparoscopic Appendectomy.  This procedure is usually opted for by most surgeons because it is not invasive.  In this procedure, a small cylinder is used to take out the appendix which will leave miniscule scarring within the operated area.
Depending upon the procedure specifics the doctors will use, they can finish the procedure within a day.  Recovery time would take about a week at the most.  Having a healthy amount of fiber in your diet can help prevent appendicitis from ever affecting you as the patient.

Things to Remember

1. The use of the appendix for the human body is still not very clear.  According to research, the appendix may be a devoted environment for responsive bacteria to grow in order to help the body create the antibodies that can help combat infection.
2. The appendix may be located in different parts of the internal human systems.  The location of the appendix is not uniformly similar among all human beings.  It may be located behind the colon, liver or the pelvis in some patients.
3. An MRI scan can also be done to determine the severity of the condition.  These are just some of the major pieces of data that you need to remember in order for you to learn as much as you can about appendicitis.  We hope that this article can help you deal with any kind of possible emergency scenarios involving patients with appendicitis.
4. Having regular appointments with your Physician will help you determine if you have appendicitis at an early stage.  In this way, you would be able to prevent it immediately before it happens to you and causes irreparable damage to your body.  
5. As stated earlier, do not hesitate to contact your doctor right away in case you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above.