Appendicitis

Appendicitis is one of the most common diseases experienced by many people around the world. It is condition in which the appendix become inflamed and filled with pus, experienced by about 7 percent of Americans.

The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch that projects out from your colon on the right-hand side. The appendix has no known purpose, but that doesn’t mean it can’t cause problems.

The main symptom is pain that begins around the navel and then shifts to the lower-right abdomen. The pain usually increases over a period of 12 to 24 hours, and eventually may be very severe.

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Appendicitis does not discriminate, anyone can develop it, but it most often strikes people between the ages of 10 and 30 and is one of the most common reasons for emergency abdominal surgery in children.

Signs and Symptoms

Appendicitis can cause a variety of symptoms that may change over time. The most obvious early symptom is an aching pain around your navel that often shifts to your lower-right abdomen. As the inflammation in your appendix spreads to nearby tissues, the pain may become sharper and more severe.

Eventually the pain tends to settle in your lower-right abdomen just above your appendix. This point is about halfway between your navel and your right pelvic bone. But the location of your pain may vary, depending on your age and the position of your appendix. Young children, especially, may have appendicitis pain in different places.

If you apply gentle pressure to the area that hurts, it will feel tender. As you release the pressure, the pain often will feel worse (rebound tenderness). It will also tend to get worse if you cough, walk or make other jarring movements. The pain may lessen somewhat if you lie on your side and pull your legs up beneath you.

Other symptoms:

• Nausea and sometimes vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• A low-grade fever that starts after other symptoms appear

Causes

It's not always clear why this condition occurs. Sometimes it's the result of an obstruction when food waste or a hard piece of stool (fecal stone) becomes trapped in the cavity that runs the length of your appendix.

Appendicitis may also follow an infection, especially a gastrointestinal viral infection, or it may result from other types of inflammation. In both cases, bacteria may subsequently grow rapidly, causing the appendix to become inflamed and filled with pus. If not treated promptly, your appendix eventually may rupture.

Treatment

If you have an acute condition, you'll need to have your appendix surgically removed (appendectomy). Your surgeon may perform traditional open surgery, using a single long abdominal incision, or choose laparoscopic surgery, which requires only a few small abdominal incisions.

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If ever you feel that what you are experiencing is appendicitis, consult a doctor as early as possible.

Source: www.crohns-disease-probiotics.com