Appendicitis - symptoms, causes, treatment

Appendicitis is probably one of the most common problems among humanity. At the same time, despite the fact that the operation to remove the inflamed process is considered one of the most primitive, people manage to get complications, and some even die, all because they did not recognize the signs of internal inflammation in time. Today we will talk about what is the cause of the inflammatory process, what symptoms the disease manifests itself and how to organize a meal after the operation.

Symptoms of appendicitis in women

The problem of determining appendicitis in the female half of humanity is that the pain in the abdomen can appear for reasons other than inflammation of this organ. Therefore, many may not attach much importance to the occurrence of pain, calmly thinking that this is another whim of the body.

So let's first look at what appendicitis is.

It is considered a rudimentary organ; in simple words, it is simply unnecessary for the body, since it has already exhausted its functions in the process of evolution. At the moment, experts have not yet studied exactly what role the organ plays in our body now. But it is known for certain that its structure increases the risk of inflammation.

The peculiarities of the course of the disease in women, as we have already said, is due to the presence of extraneous organs, which also often make themselves felt by pain. So, for example, if a man has a pain in his lower abdomen, he will be able to understand that this is an appendix, while in women in this place the uterus, ovaries and other reproductive organs may hurt. Diagnosis becomes especially problematic in pregnant women, who, even without that, throughout the entire perinatal period, "here it hurts, then it pulls, then it hurts here."

One of the main signs that helps to somehow distinguish between the symptoms of third-party diseases and inflammation of appendicitis is severe and painful nausea and vomiting. Otherwise, all the symptoms may coincide with others. Consider the main obvious signs of the onset of the inflammatory process:

• Sharp abdominal pain, which occurs in the solar plexus region, or in the area above the navel. This is one of the first symptoms of acute appendicitis. There may be pain that spreads throughout the abdomen, when the exact place where it hurts cannot be named. The nature of the pain can be impulsive (sometimes strong, sometimes weak), the duration is also fickle (sometimes it hurts, sometimes it subsides). After that, the pain gradually passes into the right sigh, where the painful character becomes constant, but moderate and intensifying during coughing, change of position and during movement.
• Severe nausea and vomiting. Vomiting contains bile in addition to food. If the stomach is empty, then the vomit will contain yellow mucus. In this case, vomiting is a reaction to pain, often a single one and accompanied by a complete loss of appetite.
• Very often the inflammatory process is accompanied by fever, high temperature but insignificant. Rarely, when the indicator exceeds 37-38 ° C.
• Intoxication of the body leads to problems in the stool. There is either a strong diarrhea, or, conversely, constipation. There are also frequent urges to use the toilet "in a small way."

The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that all its symptoms are not individual, i.e. under the same characteristics, one can accept a different disease and a simple gastrointestinal disorder, especially when the pain syndrome is mild. Stomach problems ( ulcers), inflammation of the pancreas, gall bladder have similar symptoms. And if you take a pain reliever, then all the symptoms in general can come to naught. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and reliably inform him of all the necessary information about your condition.

Here is the most dangerous symptomatology of appendicitis, in which case you urgently need to call an ambulance and in no case hesitate, otherwise a lethal outcome is possible due to rupture of appendicitis and internal infection:

• abruptly disappeared pain (for up to several hours), which may indicate a rupture of the appendix with subsequent leakage of its contents into the abdominal cavity, then a sharp pain occurs that does not lend itself to anesthesia, which signals peritonitis;
• frequent vomiting, which does not give a feeling of relief;
• a sharp rise in temperature to 39 ° C, or, conversely, greatly dropped to a critical value;
• pain at the moments of tapping on the abdomen and tense abdominal muscles;
• problems in consciousness: the appearance of an unreasonable feeling of fear, the extinction of reflexes, confusion, a state of delirium.

Which side of appendicitis

Every educated person has an idea of ​​where and on which side of the body organs such as the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys are located. But the localization of the digestive tract is somewhat more difficult to determine, without having a medical education. The intestine, which is compactly located in the abdominal cavity, is 4-5 meters long, while the appendix is ​​located at the intersection of a pair of imaginary lines.

The most likely location for appendicitis is the right iliac sigh. The latter is located below the horizontal and to the right of the vertical imaginary lines drawn through the navel and from the right nipple down to the right leg and groin. Unfortunately, this organ may not always be in this place, constantly moving from one point to another. Therefore, upon palpation, an inexperienced doctor may not feel the inflamed process and ignore the ailment. Fortunately, now medicine has moved to a new level and it is possible to conduct an ultrasound examination and see appendicitis: its condition and location.

For the patient, it does not matter which side it is located on, it is important to know the surgeon who will perform the operation to remove the process. But for education, know that more often appendicitis is located on the right side of the lower abdomen.

Acute appendicitis: symptoms

Symptoms of acute appendicitis are similar to those listed above. Therefore, if several signs occur, urgently call an ambulance in order to preserve not only the patient's health, but also his life.

In order not to complicate the diagnosis, in any case:

• do not take antibiotics and intestinal antiseptics;
• do not drink a laxative, do not give enemas and do not use traditional medicine for treatment;
• do not put warm heating pads on your stomach and do not apply compresses;
• do not drink ketorol, NSAIDs and nimesulide;
• do not take analgin, as well as medicines containing it.

The causes of appendicitis

The main cause of the inflammatory process in the appendix is ​​considered to be the clogging of the lumen of the appendix, which is already very small in size. But this can happen for many reasons: mechanical obturation in the event of fecal stones and other foreign bodies entering the lumen, bending of the appendix. It has been observed empirically that foreign bodies often cause inflammation in children, while fecal stones serve as provocateurs in adults. Another reason for the onset of inflammation is the occurrence of ulcers of the mucous membrane of the appendix. There are many reasons for inflammation, and sometimes it is simply impossible to find out the exact cause.

Treatment of appendicitis

Speaking correctly, appendicitis is not treated, but removed. It cannot be cured with medication or traditional medicine, never under any circumstances. If you make an attempt to bypass the surgeon's knife, only delay the inevitable and aggravate the situation, right up to death.

The specific type of operation is selected individually, but laparoscopy has now become in demand. This operation is performed under general anesthesia. In the abdominal wall, punctures are made through which gas is injected, which helps to expand the working area for the surgeon. After that, the necessary instruments are introduced into the patient and the inflamed organ is removed through the monitor.

By the way, today there is another variant of the operation, in which no external cuts are made. This option will certainly appeal to many women, because there are no traces of surgical intervention on the body, i.e. scars. Everything happens as follows: a special flexible manipulator is launched through the mouth, passed through the esophagus, getting into the stomach, it makes an incision and then all the necessary measures are taken to remove it. Unfortunately, this method is considered experimental and expensive. In addition, not all state clinics have the appropriate equipment.

It is impossible to prevent appendicitis, you can only reduce the likelihood of its occurrence by leading a healthy lifestyle and eating right, paying special attention to the condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Well, if this has already happened and you or your loved ones have symptoms, urgently seek help from specialists. Timely diagnosis and removal will speed up the recovery and recovery process.

What can you eat after appendicitis

For 12 hours after the end of the removal procedure, nothing can be eaten at all, including drinking liquids. If the patient's condition is good, then at the end of the first day it is permissible to drink a little decoction made from rice, or chicken broth or sweet jelly.

The next 48 hours may include:

• weak chicken broth;
• mashed potatoes;
• squash or pumpkin puree;
• natural yogurt, low in fat and completely sugarless;
• boiled and grated chicken meat;
• rice boiled in water.

It is imperative to eat in fractional small portions five to six times a day.

Meals in the following days should be prescribed by a doctor, but this will certainly be a diet. The latter will be built on an individual basis, taking into account possible complications and third-party digestive problems.