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 About Appendicitis

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Appendicitis is the swelling of the appendix due to a bacterial or viral infection. The chief symptom is a constant abdominal pain that gradually worsens in the lower right side of the abdomen.

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Your doctor would suggest surgery to be done at the earliest to prevent serious complication of appendicitis. It is also simple, cost-effective and completely safe.

What is Appendicitis?

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What is appendicitis?

Before you understand what appendicitis is, you should know where is the appendix. Appendix is a finer-shaped and narrow pouch that projects out from the colon. Appendix location is at the junction of the large and small intestine. The infection of the appendix is Appendicitis which is indicated by intense pain in the lower right side of the abdomen. This infection on the appendix side may happen when there's a block in the opening of the appendix and is usually bacterial in nature.

 

It is of two types:

Acute Appendicitis

This is a sudden and severe case of appendicitis where the symptoms develop quickly. It requires immediate treatment.

Chronic Appendicitis

This is rarer than acute appendicitis. Also, the symptoms are relatively mild and can disappear before reappearing again. It is challenging to diagnose.

There are some other reasons for appendix treatment as well. In some cases, the feces can harden to form lumps of different sizes. These lumps are called faecolith. When this occurs in the appendix, it is called appendicolith. Another condition is the epiploic appendices in which small peritoneum photos that are filled with fat are present in the colon and absent in the rectum.

How does Appendicitis form?

Appendicitis is caused by the blockage of the appendix. The blockage might be caused as a result of the mucus that builds up within the appendix or may be due to the stool that comes into the appendix from the cecum. The blockage may as well be caused by various infections such as virus, bacteria, or parasites in the digestive tract or due to the swelling of the lymphatic tissue that lines the wall of the appendix.

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Causes

While the exact cause of appendix pain and appendicitis is unknown, anything that causes a block in the appendix (eg. feces or lymph nodes) could give rise to a bacterial infection.

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  • Infection in the digestive tract

  • Abdominal or traumatic injury

  • Constipation or buildup of hardened stool

  • Tumor in the appendix

  • Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Increased/enlarged lymphoid follicles

  • Increased number of intestinal worms, also known as ascaris

Symptoms

Here is are the appendicitis symptoms you should look out for:

  • An intense appendicitis pain that gradually worsens over a few hours on the lower right side of the abdomen. Pregnant women may have this appendicitis pain area on the upper right side.

  • It becomes unbearable if you press the appendix pain area hard or cough heavily

  • Loss of appetite

  • Diarrhea

DIAGNOSIS

How will your doctor detect and treat appendicitis?

  • Appendicitis is usually detected by a physical examination, after which you would be sent for surgery (medically called appendicectomy).

  • Physical examination

  • Your physician may press the lower side of your abdomen to localise the appendix pain side and ascertain swelling of the appendix.

  • Blood/urine tests

  • You will be asked to take blood/urine tests to detect infections and ultrasound scan to confirm the diagnosis and to also rule out any other problems.

  • CT scan

  • In case, physical examination and ultrasound scans are inconclusive then a CT scan is done to confirm the diagnosis.

  • Pregnancy test

  • A routine pregnancy test may also be performed, in all female patients.

Before surgery

  • Your doctor would ask you to take routine investigations (Blood/ECG/chest x-ray/ultrasound scan) before your surgery

  • Inform your doctor about the medications you consume. Your doctor may ask you to avoid some medicines the day before the surgery, as they may interfere with the appendix operation or recovery.

  • If you are a smoker, stop smoking before the surgery, as it impairs post-surgery healing.

  • The patient has to be fasting till surgery is done

After surgery

  • You would be discharged within 24 -36 hours of the surgery, depending on your recovery

  • Your physician would direct you to take a liquid diet at first and gradually add solid food

  • The surgical incision and your stomach might hurt, especially if you stand for long hours. Pain is completely normal after this surgery and will subside across the week

  • Ensure you keep the surgical incision clean and dry, always. Cover it securely with waterproof dressing while bathing

How to prevent it ?

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Image by Jo Sonn
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By far, there is no proven way to prevent the occurrence of appendicitis. However, you might be able to lower the risk by maintaining a proper and healthy diet that includes adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, oats, brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains that are rich in fibre.

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Precautions to take after surgery

While most surgeries for appendicitis are safe and result in your complete recovery. However, there is always the risk of complications such as infections and internal organ injury.

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Do watch out for these signs. Contact a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:

  • Persistent fever with chills

  • Diarrhea

  • Bleeding in the stool or from the surgical incision

  • Swelling accompanied with pain

  • Painful abdominal cramps

  • Repeated vomiting

  • Inability to pass stool after 2-3 days of surgery

APPENDICITIS SPECIALISTS DOCTORS

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience

Surgery

Surgery is considered as the standard method of treating appendicitis, which is also known as appendectomy. Generally, after your diagnosis, the doctor will go through all the reports of your medical evaluations and recommend a surgery if there are signs of an infection and a possible rupture of the appendix in order to eliminate the risk of any further complications. If you are suffering from symptoms like long-lasting abdominal pain and fever, you will most likely be required to go for a surgery, where the surgeon will completely remove the appendix to treat the condition.

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SEVERITY

Grade I
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Early appendicitis

Grade II
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Suppurative appendicitis

Grade III
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Gangrenous appendicitis

Grade IV
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Perforated/Ruptured appendicitis

Grade V
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Phlegmonous appendicitis or abscess

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