Appendicitis is one of the most common digestive problems. It is known that is the main reason for surgery in children. Even if there has been serious progress in medicine the main idea about appendicitis has not changed. If the appendix inflames it must be removed before it perforates and spreads the infection to the abdominal cavity. Many of us might ask if they can develop appendicitis. The truth is that everyone that has an appendix, which everybody has, is prone to develop appendicitis. Specialists believe that appendicitis is a common condition in later childhood and early adulthood. Even so it is known that appendicitis can be seen in infants and old people as well. The appendix is the main cause for appendicitis. It is a small organ that it is attached to the large intestine. It is believed that in the past the appendix has the role of development of the white blood cells. Nowadays specialists agree that it has no function and its removal will not affect us. If its removal can not affect us it is good to know that if this organ is not removed in case it inflames, many problems may occur. It is believed that the appendix gets inflamed if its opening gets blocked with stool or other debris. This obstruction leads to inflammation, swelling, infection and in the last phase, perforation or rupture. Spasm or primary infections might also cause the inflammation of the appendix. The main symptoms that occur in appendicitis patients are fever and right lower abdominal pain. This condition might also be associated with vomiting or nausea. It was noticed that the pain of appendicitis begins in the umbilical area and travels down to the right lower part of the abdomen. When the appendix gets inflamed there will be experienced distinct and severe tenderness in the abdominal wall, just above the appendix. The most effective way of diagnosing appendicitis is the physical exam. Even so, modern techniques such as imaging techniques combined with CT scan and ultrasound are used to diagnose appendicitis. Another frequent question refers to the possibility of not removing the appendix. Specialists say that in most of the cases the appendix has to be removed when it is inflamed. There are some cases where antibiotics might help and may avoid an immediate going to the operating room. Even so, in many of these cases, after weeks of treatment the patients come for the surgical intervention. It is a good thing to know that the mortality rate is very low in appendicitis cases. This means that most of the people know the risks and go immediately to a doctor after they experience the symptoms.
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