What causes appendicitis?

We also call appendicitis acute appendicitis. The appearance of appendicitis brings serious harm to our body. Appendicitis makes patients very painful, so we need to know some knowledge about appendicitis, which will help us prevent and treat appendicitis. So what are the symptoms of appendicitis and what causes appendicitis?

Only when we know the cause of appendicitis can we carry out targeted prevention and treatment work based on the cause of appendicitis. The cause of appendicitis is relatively complicated. Let’s take a look at the introduction to appendicitis below.

Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain. On average, each person has a 7% chance of developing appendicitis in their lifetime, with the highest incidence in people aged 10 to 30 years old. It is relatively rare in people under 5 years old and over 50 years old. Diagnosis is easily delayed or misdiagnosed due to atypical symptoms, and the chance of complications is also higher. Men are generally more susceptible to appendicitis than women, but women between the ages of 35 and 44 often have their appendix removed during other abdominal surgeries. The main cause of appendicitis is obstruction of the appendix at the outlet of the cecum, resulting in secondary bacterial infection; however, in another 30% of cases, no obstruction is found, and the inflammation may be caused by viral, parasitic or bacterial infection, trauma or stool retention after surgery. When diagnosing, there are no less than dozens of conditions that need to be distinguished, the important ones include cholecystitis (pain in the right upper abdomen), ulcer perforation (more pain when moving), diverticulitis (a mass can be palpated), partial obstruction of the small intestine (accelerated intestinal motility), and intestinal perforation (slowed intestinal motility). The most important diagnostic tool is still a detailed medical history and physical examination. Abdominal pain that is difficult to define but gradually increases in intensity is the first symptom of typical appendicitis. It usually starts with vague pain in the pit of the stomach or around the navel, which gradually moves to the right lower abdomen. It is followed by abdominal muscle contraction, stiffness, and rebound tenderness caused by fear of touching the abdomen. In addition, non-specific symptoms such as moderate white blood cell count, low-grade fever, nausea, fatigue, constipation or occasional diarrhea are not uncommon.

At the beginning of appendicitis, there will be abdominal pain at random points, but most of the time it occurs near the navel or in the upper abdomen. This pain feels dull, and if left untreated, it will slowly move to the right lower abdomen after a few hours. At this time, if you press the right abdomen with your hand, the pain will become more severe. What is more special is that at this time you can try pressing the lower right abdomen and quickly release it. If you feel rebound pain, it may be appendicitis. But how painful is this pain? Because everyone's tolerance level is different, it is difficult to make a metaphor or explain it in words. Generally, people who have experienced it will describe it as an extremely painful pain. As for how painful it is, only those who have truly experienced it know. In addition to obvious abdominal pain, patients may also experience poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and some may have a mild fever (about 38 degrees). Some may also have increased tongue coating, bad breath, or an increase in granular white blood cells. Some people may experience constipation symptoms, while others may have the opposite, with diarrhea and even blood in their excrement. Due to the variety of symptoms, it is more difficult to diagnose. The course of appendicitis can vary from a few hours to several months. It is usually divided into acute and chronic based on the speed of the disease. Acute appendicitis usually has more severe symptoms than chronic appendicitis and is more threatening. At first, it may just be abdominal pain due to appendicitis or obstruction, but over time, it may lead to abscesses or even perforation due to untreated condition. Perforation usually occurs 24 to 36 hours after the onset of symptoms, but it may occur earlier in children or the elderly. Traditionally, laparotomy is the treatment method. Recently, the medical community has begun to use laparoscopic surgery to treat acute appendicitis. Due to its advantages of small scars and quick recovery, it is gradually being accepted by patients.

Above we introduced what appendicitis is. We know that appendicitis is called acute appendicitis. The occurrence of appendicitis brings harm to the patient's body, so we must know how to prevent appendicitis. The above article introduced the causes of appendicitis in detail. Now we should all know what causes appendicitis.