Appendicitis is inflammation of the
appendix, a small pouch attached to the
cecum, the beginning of the colon, on the
lower right side of the abdomen. The
appendix is not necessary for life, but it
can become diseased. If untreated, an
inflamed appendix can burst, causing
infection and even death. Appendicitis can
affect people at any age. It is most
common in people ages 10 to 30.
The cause of appendicitis is usually
unknown. It may occur after a viral
infection in the digestive tract or when
the opening connecting the large intestine
and appendix is blocked. The inflammation
can cause infection, a blood clot, or
rupture of the appendix. Because of the
risk of rupture, appendicitis is
considered an emergency. Anyone with
symptoms needs to see a doctor
immediately. Symptoms include
pain in the right side of the abdomen
nausea
vomiting
constipation
diarrhea
inability to pass gas
low fever that begins after other symptoms
abdominal swelling
anorexia
The pain usually begins near the navel and
moves down and to the right. The pain
becomes worse when moving, taking deep
breaths, coughing, sneezing, and being
touched in the area.
Not everyone has all the symptoms. People
with symptoms of appendicitis should not
take laxatives or enemas to relieve
constipation because these medicines could
cause the appendix to burst. Pain medicine
can mask symptoms that the doctor needs to
know about, so it should not be used
before consulting a doctor when
appendicitis is suspected.
The doctor bases an appendicitis diagnosis
on symptoms, a physical exam, blood tests
to check for signs of infection such as a
high white blood cell count, and urine
tests to rule out a urinary tract
infection. Usually doctors use CT scan or
ultrasound to see whether the appendix
looks inflamed.
If the diagnosis of appendicitis is not
certain, people with equivocal signs of
appendicitis may be watched and sometimes
treated with antibiotics. People with
definite appendicitis have surgery to
remove the appendix, which is called an
appendectomy. Doctors may use laparoscopic
surgery for appendectomy. This technique
involves making several tiny cuts in the
abdomen and inserting a miniature camera
and surgical instruments. The surgeon then
removes the appendix with the instruments,
so there is usually no need to make a
large incision in the abdomen. People can
live a normal life without their
appendix--changes in diet, exercise, or
other lifestyle factors are not
necessary.
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
Additional Information on Appendicitis
The National Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse collects
resource information on digestive diseases
for the Combined Health Information
Database (CHID). CHID is a database
produced by health-related agencies of the
Federal Government. This database provides
titles, abstracts, and availability
information for health information and
health education resources.
To provide you with the most up-to-date
resources, information specialists at the
clearinghouse created an automatic search
of CHID. To obtain this information, you
may view the results of the automatic
search on Appendicitis.
If you wish to perform your own search of
the database, you may access the CHID
Online website and search CHID yourself.
------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
Email:
ndd
ic@info.niddk.nih.gov
The National Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a
service of the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National
Institutes of Health under the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
Established in 1980, the clearinghouse
provides information about digestive
diseases to people with digestive
disorders and to their families, health
care professionals, and the public. NDDIC
answers inquiries, develops and
distributes publications, and works
closely with professional and patient
organizations and Government agencies to
coordinate resources about digestive
diseases.
Publications produced by the clearinghouse
are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK
scientists and outside experts.
