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Appendicitis Causes and Symptoms


Appendicitis (or epityphlitis ) is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis begins when the opening from the appendix into the cecum becomes blocked. This rock is called a fecalith (literally, a rock of stool). The appendix is a part of the bowel that doesn''t have any known use to humans.

Appendicitis (or epityphlitis ) is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis begins when the opening from the appendix into the cecum becomes blocked. This rock is called a fecalith (literally, a rock of stool). The appendix is a part of the bowel that doesn''t have any known use to humans. It is a small tube about 5-10cm long that is found at the end of the caecum (the small pouch near the start of the large intestine). In the United States, 1 in 15 people gets appendicitis.

Chronic appendicitis is a serious from of appendicitis as the length of time for diagnosis. During this time bacteria can in fact spread throughout the bodies internal organs. As there generally no stomach pain with this type of it, this spreading of bacteria can go on undetected which can lead to complications down the road.

The common Causes of Appendicitis :

Tumor obstruction
Viral infection of appendix
Parasitic worm obstruction
Fecal obstruction
Barium obstruction (from a medical test)
Symptoms of Appendicitis
Some Symptoms of Appendicitis :
Pain in the right side of the abdomen
Inability to pass gas
Vomiting
Abdominal swelling
Chills and shaking
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
Low fever that begins after other symptoms

Other Causes :

? Faecolith: Faecolith is when faeces get lodged in the lumen of the appendix and then proceed to become very hard. This then causes the blockage and additional faeces are unable to pass through the lumen which in turn leads to appendicitis.

? Swollen Lymph Glands: Even something as common as a cold or any other type of infection be it bacterial or viral can lead to appendicitis. Glands on the wall of your appendix can become swollen which can lead to them blocking the path to the lumen.


? Mucus: For unknown reasons the appendix can secrete copious amounts of thick mucus into the lumen. This mucus can bind with cells from the walls of the appendix to create a thick substance which again can cause a blockage of the lumen.

? Worms: Although it''s not very common in the western world it is quite common in third world countries for people to become infested with worms which can actually block the lumen, again once this happens there is the reduced blood supply to the appendix .

? Tumor: While this is rare it has been known to lead to appendicitis especially in elderly people. The tumor may have originated in the appendix or it may have spread from another area.

Symptoms

? It may have various symptoms but the main symptom of appendicitis is pain that typically begins around your navel and then shifts to your lower right abdomen. The pain of appendicitis usually increases over a period of six to 12 hours, and eventually may become very severe. If you are having appendicitis and as the inflammation spreads to nearby tissues, the pain may become sharper and more severe.

? Eventually, the pain tends to settle in your lower right abdomen which is near your appendix and which is known as McBurney point.

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Article Details
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Author:credulous
Publication:Health, general community
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Nov 24, 2009
Words:571
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