Recognizing The Symptoms to Get Prompt Treatment

Appendicitis is one of the most common diseases. One out of 15 people in the United States suffer fro appendicitis. This disease is not at all discriminatory. Even toddlers can suffer from appendicitis pain; although this disease typically occurs between ages 10 to 30.

What is Appendicitis?
Appendicitis is condition where the appendix is inflamed. The appendix is a 3-inch tube that is attached to the large intestine. This is one of the organs that people can actually live without. It is rather useless but it has caused problems to people who suffer from appendicitis.

Appendicitis may be considered as a medical emergency. If it is inflamed, it could cause the life of the patient if it is left untreated. It would perforate or burst. This could also result to infections which could lead to peritonitis, a condition that could be fatal.

What are the Appendicitis Symptoms?
The typical appendicitis symptoms include:

1) Dull abdominal pain especially on the upper abdomen and near the navel. The pain becomes originates from the upper abdomen and spreads to the lower right abdomen. It become sharp as it reaches the lower abdomen. This is the most common symptom of appendicitis. Often, the sharp pain is diffused. It is not localized so the patient cannot actually pinpoint where his pain seems to be originating.

2) Loss of appetite. This is another common symptom of appendicitis. The loss of appetite is often accompanied by diarrhea and nausea.c. Nausea or vomiting which occurs once the abdominal pain starts.

3) Abdominal swelling

4) Fever ranging from 99 degrees Fahrenheit to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

5) Difficulty or inability to pass gas.

6) Dull pain on the back or rectum.

7) Painful and difficult urination.

8) Vomiting

9) Severe abdominal cramps

10) Severe Constipation

11) Diarrhea

People suffering from appendicitis may show several of these symptoms although not all. Recognizing appendicitis symptoms can be difficult because there are other diseases that are similar to appendicitis symptoms.

Appendicitis Symptoms on Special Cases
Sometimes, appendicitis can affect people with special conditions. A pregnant woman suffering from appendicitis may have different appendicitis symptoms from a child or an elderly who are suffering the same. Sometimes, the symptoms are also mistaken for other diseases like gastritis, ovary problems, Chrohnâ?Ts disease and intestinal infections. This is why it is important that precise diagnostic tests are conducted. People who are exhibiting appendicitis symptoms should seek immediate medical treatment.

Pregnant women who are experiencing symptoms of acute appendicitis mus t seek prompt medical treatment. This is especially true if they are experiencing right-side abdominal pain or if they are in their third trimester.

Diagnosing appendicitis children or infants is especially tricky because children cannot properly communicate or explain their symptoms. Physicians are forced to reach a diagnosis based solely on physical exam. In fact, doctors would give more credence to the physical exam.

Appendix Post-Op Management

Most people who suffer from appendicitis eventually decide to have their appendix removed.  Surgery has always been the best treatment for appendicitis.

What is Appendectomy?
Appendicitis surgery is also known as appendectomy.  This is the kind of appendicitis surgery wherein the patientâ?Ts appendix is completely removed.  This is the most common method of treating appendicitis.  Often, this is resorted to when there is a risk that the appendix is perforating and is about to burst.  Surgery is the best means of avoiding sepsis or other complications.

Kinds of Appendicitis Surgery
There are basically two types of appendicitis surgery.  The first one is similar to most open surgeries.  The surgeon creates an abdominal incision and he would then excise the heart through the opening.  This is the easi est method of appendicitis surgery.  However, the drawback to this method is that it can leave the patient with scars.  It is also takes quite a while to heal.

The other type of appendicitis surgery is the laparoscopic surgery.  Initially, the surgeon would create a small abdominal incision.  He would then insert the laparoscope inside the abdomen through the incised opening.  A laparoscope is a video-camera like device that is shaped like a tube.  Pictures taken by the laparoscope is displayed in a monitor.  Guided by this video, the surgeon would then proceed to the process of removing the inflammation using small instruments.

This second method of appendicitis surgery is the preferred surgical procedure.  However, if the condition of the patient and the appendicitis is too acute or serious, laparoscopic surgery may not be the wise choice.  If the appendix is perforated and is about to burst, the doctor will not be able to fully remove all abscesses and bacteria if he would use the laparoscopic approach.  An open surgery would be more advisable.  A bigger incision would allow him to fully clean the appendix and the area of the perforation.

Post-Op Disease Management
Sometimes, complications may occur after surgery.  There are people who would still exhibit appendicitis symptoms even after their surgery.  Unfortunately, this is not a good news.  This could mean that there are still abscesses that were not cleanse or parts of the area that are still inflamed.  Abscesses need to be drain; however, patients are recommended to continue with a course of antibiotics to avoid infections.

There are things that you should do after your operation to ensure full recovery and rapid healing.  After surgery, you should force yourself to get up, move and take a few s teps.  This is essential in order to allow resumption of normal intestinal activities.  It may be a great torment but it would save you from developing pneumonia.

A patient who has just been through appendicitis surgery may not necessarily be able to resume his normal eating habits because of the appendicitis recovery period.  He may refused foods altogether.  However, insist on soups, juices and teas.  These are great for post-op recovering adults.  However, children who underwent appendectomy must be given well-cooked healthy meals packed with vitamins and minerals in order to allow them to regain their strength.

The Challenge of Diagnosing Children\'s Appendicitis

The word appendicitis is a fairly common word.  In fact, you would hear people say every now and then, My stomach keeps hurting.  I wonder if I have appendicitis.  The usual response to this by anyone listening would be, Where does it hurt?  If its in the right lower abdomen, it must be appendicitis.

Diagnosing Appendicitis Generally
If only its that easy to diagnose the condition.  In actual truth, diagnosing appendicitis has always been a little bit tricky.  Many physicians are facing lawsuits after they opened up a patient and found no trace of abnormal appendix.

It is very difficult to really diagnose a clear case of appendicitis because the symptoms of the disease are often unspecific – vague, if you may say so.  Rarely do symptoms of this disease generate visible manifestations.  Physicians would often require additional laboratory tests in order to back up their diagnosis.  They'd recommend a series of lab tests including blood analysis, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, computerized tomography or CT and ultrasound tests.

Now, if diagnosing appendicitis is difficult with adults, it is almost impossible when it comes to children.  Diagnosing appendicitis in children is certainly a huge task for physicians.

Diagnosing Appendicitis in Children
Chronic appendicitis can occur in any age.  Toddlers as young as 2 years old may have appendicitis.  Rarely does it happen though that infants have appendicitis.  Children suffering from this disease find it difficult to cope with the painful symptoms.  Sadly, by the time they present to physicians, they already exhibit various complications.

Oftentimes, appendicitis in children comes with different clinical manifestations.  Although children experience the characteristic symptoms of appendicitis which includes acute abdominal pain and discomfort, vomiting, nausea and fatigue, they also experience other uncharacteristic symptoms that are apparently common in appendicitis in children.  These symptoms include irritability and loss of appetite.  They also experience intense sweating, high fever and chills.  These latter symptoms are largely because of the bacterial infections in the appendix.  You can say that appendicitis signs in children have exacerbated symptoms.

Children tend to experience the symptoms more intensely and painfully.  They, however, cannot communicate their symptoms well unlike adults.  Doctors, therefore, would have to rely largely on his observation, the patient's physical examination and the laboratory results in order to arrive at a diagnosis.

My childs symptoms are classic of appendicitis, why can't you operate?  True, childrens symptoms may be classic of the disease with its intense abdominal pain and other visible symptoms; however, it is hard to reach a diagnosis because appendicitis symptoms mimic the symptoms of other diseases.  This is why it is advisable that the physician thoroughly examine the patient.  The child must also undergo several lab tests including MRI and CT scan in order to have a more reliable basis for an appendicitis diagnosis.  The physician would then give his diagnosis based on the physical examinations and laboratory results.  If these all point to a proper diagnosis of appendicitis, the physician would then recommend the appropriate medical treatment for appendicitis in children.