Appendicitis occurs when a stomach infection travels into the appendix or a hard piece of stool becomes trapped in the appendix, causing infection. It can occur at any age, and is most common in older children to adults in their 30s.
Signs and symptoms
The first sign of appendicitis is pain in the abdominal area. As the infection progresses, the location of the pain becomes more defined in the lower right part of the abdomen, which is known as the McBurney point. Common symptoms: progressively worse pain, painful cough or sneezing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to breathe, fever, constipation, loss of appetite …
Although other medical conditions can have similar symptoms (a urinary tract infection, for example), they all require urgent medical attention.
Surgery
In most cases, the surgeon will remove the appendix; a procedure performed by laparoscopic surgery . It is minimally invasive, there is minimal blood loss, and a small incision is made. As a result, recovery time is faster than with open surgery, and there are fewer scars.
Open surgery
In some cases, a larger incision will be made so that the area inside the abdominal cavity can be cleaned. This will happen if: the appendix has ruptured and the infection has spread, if it has caused an abscess, if the patient has tumors in the digestive system, if the patient is a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy, or if the patient has had many abdominal surgeries before.
Recovery time
In the case of laparoscopic surgery, the patient can usually go home after 24 hours . During the first few days, there may be some constipation and some pain and bruising. You may also feel pain in your shoulder, due to the gas that is pumped into your abdomen during the procedure.
For open surgery, or if the person has peritonitis or another complication, they may need to stay in the hospital for up to a week.
It usually takes about 2 weeks to return to normal activity, but the patient should wait 4 to 6 weeks for more intense activity such as exercise. The doctor will advise you on how much activity is appropriate at each stage.
If there are signs of infection, it is important to contact the doctor. These signs include: worsening pain and swelling, repeated vomiting, fever, the operation site is warm to the touch, or there is pus or other discharge.
Prevention
Countries with lower incidence of appendicitis also tend to have more fiber in their diets. Hence, a high fiber diet could help reduce the chances of developing appendicitis by creating softer stools that are less likely to get trapped in the appendix.
Complications
If the appendix ruptures and releases the infection into the abdomen, the patient may develop peritonitis, which is an infection and inflammation of the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal organs.
Peritonitis can cause the intestines to close, bowel movements to stop, and the intestine to become blocked. The patient will develop a fever and could go into shock . Peritonitis requires urgent treatment.
If the infection seeps from the appendix and mixes with the intestinal contents, it can form an abscess. If the abscess is not treated, it can cause peritonitis.
Complications of appendicitis can be life threatening. It is important to seek medical help for anyone who may have appendicitis.
