APPENDICITIS -Meaning, 8 symptoms, causes, types, Diagnosis, and 6 treatments of Appendicitis

Appendicitis: This is a health condition in which the appendix painfully swells and is filled with pus most times due to infection. If this condition is not checked the swollen appendix could rupture, causing serious damage to the body and sometimes death.

Symptoms of appendicitis

The pain caused by appendicitis may start like a slight stomach cramp mostly in the upper abdomen. As time goes by, it becomes constant and serious. You may also experience these other symptoms :
• Indigestion
• Swollen abdomen
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Slight fever
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty in passing gas
• Constipation

Causes of appendicitis

The basic cause of appendicitis is not known. Despite that, research has shown that this medical condition happens when something blocks the appendix. Worms, injury, tumors, accumulated hardened stool, just to mention a few, are examples of things that can block the appendix.

Types of appendicitis

Chronic appendicitis: This is a rare type of appendicitis in which the symptoms are light and are not steady as it may appear or disappear after some weeks, months, or even years. This makes it very difficult to diagnose. Sometimes it could keep lingering until it develops into acute appendicitis.

Acute appendicitis: This is a serious appendicitis case, in which the symptoms develop suddenly and rapidly. This case of appendicitis demands immediate medical treatment as it can lead to rupture and death if neglected.
Appendicitis, who is at risk?

Sex: men are more likely to have appendicitis than women
Age: people between the age of 15 years to 30 years, are more at risk of experiencing appendicitis
Family history: people whose families already have a history of appendicitis, are more at risk of developing it.

Diagnosis of appendicitis

Physical exam: This involves the checking of the tenderness of the abdomen for either rigidity or swollen.
Urinalysis: to make sure that your symptoms are not a result of a kidney stone or urinary tract infection, the doctor may ask you o conduct a urine test called a urinalysis. This test is conducted by taking the urine and examining it in the lab.

CBC (complete blood count): This involves the collection of blood and examination of it in the lab to check for infection.

Pregnancy test: Due to the fact that ectopic pregnancy can be mistaken for appendicitis, a pregnancy test can be conducted to be sure if the symptoms are due to appendicitis or ectopic pregnancy. This test can be conducted using urine or blood, or even through transvaginal ultrasound.

Pelvic test: This test is only conducted in women showing these appendicitis symptoms as this might be a result of inflammation of the Pelvic.

Chest image test: if a person has pneumonia in the lower right lobe of his or her lungs, that person might have symptoms similar to appendicitis. So the doctor will conduct this test to be sure.

Treatment of appendicitis

• Surgically removing the appendix
• Surgically draining the abscess from the appendix
• IV fluid
• Antibiotics
• Liquid diet
• Pain relives
It is rare to treat appendicitis without surgery. Hence most times, doctors conduct appendectomy which is the surgical removal of the appendix.