Appendicitis

This is the inflammation of the appendix which can occur anytime from infancy to old age.

What to look for

• dull pain near the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen. This is usually the first sign. Also pain in the upper or lower back, right leg muscle and rectum

• loss of appetite

• nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins.

• high temperature

• constipation or diarrhoea with gas.

• painful urination.

• vomiting

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is narrow and tube like, it is attached to on end of the large intestine… However, no one really knows why it is there.

Appendicitis is a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery to remove the appendix. If it is left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventually burst, or perforate, spilling infection into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to a serious infection of the abdominal cavity's lining which may be fatal unless it is treated quickly.

CAUSES

Appendicitis occurs when the tube-shaped appendix becomes blocked, often by faecal material, a foreign body, or cancer.

With today’s highly refined western diets, food moves slowly down the intestines due to a lack of roughage. This slow moving causes blockages which may contribute to appendicitis.

Blockage may also be due to infection. Like other lymphoid tissue, the appendix swells in response to any infection in the body. As it expands, its opening gradually closes.

As well as this a blockage may be the result of a seed, pip or other foreign material becoming stuck in the appendix region.

Traditional Treatment

Surgery to remove the appendix, which is called an appendectomy, is the standard treatment for appendicitis.