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.