Appendicitis is a painful swelling and infection of the appendix.

What Kamagra jelly is appendix?

The appendix is a fingerlike pouch attached to the large intestine and located in the lower right area of the abdomen.
The exact function of appendix is not known exactly, but removing it does not affect a person’s health.

The inside of the appendix is called the appendiceal lumen.

Mucus secreted by the appendix travels through the appendiceal lumen and empties into the large intestine.

Causes

-Obstruction of the appendiceal lumen causes appendicitis.

-Mucus backs up in the appendiceal lumen, causes bacteria that normally live inside the appendix to multiply.

-As a result, the appendix swells and becomes infected.

Sources of obstruction include:

1. Feces, parasites,or growths that block the appendiceal lumen.

2. Enlarged lymph tissue in the wall of the appendix, caused by infection in the gastrointestinal tract

3. Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

4. Trauma to the abdomen

5. An inflamed appendix will likely burst if not removed.

Bursting spreads infection throughout the abdomen-a potentially dangerous condition called peritonitis.

Prevalence

Anyone can get appendicitis, but it is more common among people 10 to 30 years old.

Appendicitis leads to more emergency abdominal surgeries than any other cause.

Symptoms

Most people with appendicitis have classic symptoms that a doctor can easily identify. The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain.

1.The abdominal pain usually

-occurs suddenly, often causing a person to wake up at night

-occurs before other symptoms

-Begins near the belly button and then moves lower and to the right.

-gets worse in hours

-gets worse when moving around, taking deep breaths, coughing, or sneezing

Other symptoms of appendicitis may include:

2.loss of appetite

3.nausea

4.vomiting

5.constipation or diarrhea

6.inability to pass gas

7.a low-grade fever that follows other symptoms

8.abdominal swelling

Diagnosis

A doctor can diagnose most cases of appendicitis by taking a person’s medical history and performing a physical examination.

If a person shows classic symptoms, a doctor may suggest surgery right away to remove the appendix before it bursts.
Doctors may use laboratory and imaging tests to confirm appendicitis if a person does not have classic symptoms.
Tests may also help to diagnose appendicitis in people who cannot adequately describe their symptoms, such as children or the mentally impaired.

Medical History

The doctor enquires about the pain such as when the pain began and its exact location and severity.
The doctor will ask questions about other medical conditions, previous illnesses and surgeries, and use of medications, alcohol, or illegal drugs.

Physical Examination

Details about the abdominal pain are key to diagnosing appendicitis.

The doctor will assess pain by touching or applying pressure to specific areas of the abdomen.

Responses that may Indicate Appendicitis Include

Guarding. Guarding occurs when a person subconsciously tenses the abdominal muscles during an examination.

Rebound tenderness. A doctor tests for rebound tenderness by applying hand pressure to a patient’s abdomen and then letting go.

Pain felt upon the release of the pressure indicates rebound tenderness.

Rovsing’s sign. applying hand pressure to the lower left side of the abdomen.

Pain felt on the lower right side of the abdomen upon the release of pressure on the left side indicates the presence of Rovsing’s sign.

Psoas sign. The right psoas muscle runs over the pelvis near the appendix.

Flexing this muscle will cause abdominal pain if the appendix is inflamed
Obturator sign. The right obturator muscle also runs near the appendix.

A doctor tests for the obturator sign by asking the patient to lie down with the right leg bent at the knee.

Moving the bent knee left and right requires flexing the obturator muscle and will cause abdominal pain if the appendix is inflamed.

Laboratory Tests

Blood tests

Imaging Tests

Computerized tomography (CT) scans

Treatment

Surgery to remove the appendix is called appendectomy and can be done two ways.

The older method, called laparotomy, removes the appendix through a single incision in the lower right area of the abdomen.

The newer method, called laparoscopic surgery, uses several smaller incisions and special surgical tools fed through the incisions to remove the appendix.

Nonsurgical treatment includes antibiotics to treat infection.

Author Bio: Dr Guptha faculty in medical billing training

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