Appendicitis, Cause And Symptoms
August 19, 2009
Appendicitis can be described as a state where the appendix gets inflamed and completely filled up with pus. The appendix has the shape of a small finger and is a pouch projecting out from the colon.
Though this pouch is of no particular use, but an infection in the same can prove to be very dangerous and painful. This disease though does not have any particular age specification, however occurs to people chiefly between the age ranges of ten to thirty.
Symptoms:
The most familiar symptom is pain –that occurs around the patient’s navel area shifting later to the lower right part of abdomen.
With spread of the swelling to the close by tissues it augments the pain becoming brutal and sharp.
The pain ultimately settles down in the lower right part of the abdomen. The exact location is near the appendix and the point is known to be “McBurney pointâ€. The point is situated at the middle of the place between the “navel†and the top of the “right pelvic boneâ€.
However, the location may vary completely depending on the position of appendix and the patient’s age.
Other Symptoms:
Nausea and vomiting are two of the other common symptoms. Then there is decrease in appetite, this is followed by a low fever. Early signs of appendicitis are diarrhea, constipation, and swelling of the abdomen.
Causes: The reason of the occurrence of appendicitis is at times quite uncertain. Here are some of the possible reasons.
Obstruction: A hard section of stool known as “fecal stone†or maybe a food waste can get trapped in the oral cavity of the appendix.
Infection: At times infection can also cause the disease appendicitis. Infections such as the “gastrointestinal viral infection†or some other kinds of inflammations can also cause the same.
In both of the above mentioned situations bacteria has the possibility of a rapid invasion resulting in the appendix to get swelled up and pus filled. If an immediate checkup is not done followed by medical intervention in the form of surgery, the appendix can even rupture to make it lethal.
Older adults have a high occurrence of appendix rupture maybe because of the fact that they delay in seeking medical help.
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