Appendicitis
The appendix is a close-ended narrow tube that attaches to the cecum (the first part of the colon) like a worm. When the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus, the condition is known as appendicitis.
Causes
It is not exactly known why appendicitis occurs. It is assumed that the condition occurs when the opening of the appendix gets blocked due to a build-up of thick mucus within the appendix or due to stool that enters the appendix from the cecum and blocks the opening. Appendicitis can also follow an infection, such as a gastrointestinal viral infection. Although it can develop at any age, it commonly occurs in people between the ages of 10 and 30. It is one of the most common reasons for emergency abdominal surgery in children.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common early symptom is pain around the navel that often shifts to the lower right abdomen. As the inflammation in the appendix spreads to nearby tissues, especially the inner lining ( peritoneum) of the abdomen, the pain may become sharper and more severe. Finally, the pain tends to settle in the lower right abdomen - just above the appendix at what is known as McBurney's Point. This point is about halfway between the navel and the top of the right pelvic bone. But the location of the pain may vary, depending on the age and the position of the appendix. In addition to pain, the following signs and symptoms may also occur :
Nausea and sometimes vomiting
Loss of appetite
A low-grade fever that starts after other signs an symptoms appear..
Constipation
An inability to pass gas.
Diarrhoea
Abdominal distension.
Sometimes the attack of appendicitis resolves without treatment. The inflammation, pain and symptoms disappear. This can occur in elderly patients and when antibiotics are used. The patients present after the episode of appendicitis with a lump or a mass in the right lower abdomen. This lump might raise the suspicion of cancer.
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