Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a painful swelling of the appendix. The appendix is a small, thin pouch connected to the large intestine, where poo forms.

What Causes Appendicitis

• pain in the middle of your tummy (abdomen) that may come and go then travels to the lower right-hand side, where the appendix usually lies, and becomes constant and severe.
• Pressing on this area, coughing or walking may make the pain worse.
• You may lose your appetite, feel sick and have constipationor diarrhea.

• It's not clear what causes appendicitis. In many cases it may be that something blocks the entrance of the appendix, it could become blocked by a small piece of poo.
• If the obstruction causes inflammation and swelling, it could lead to increased pressure within the appendix, which may then burst.
• As the causes of appendicitis are not fully understood, there's no guaranteed way of preventing it.
• You can get appendicitis at any age, but it usually affects young people aged between 10 and 20 years.

 

How is it treated ?

• If you have appendicitis, it's likely your appendix will need to be removed as soon as possible.
• Removal of the appendix, known as an appendicectomy or appendectomy.
• It's most commonly carried out as keyhole surgery (laparoscopy).
• It usually takes a couple of weeks to make a full recovery after your appendix has been removed.