How to identify signs of appendicitis in an adult?

It is very important to be able to distinguish signs of appendicitis, because without treatment an attack can lead to the death of a person.

From the article you will learn the main signs of inflammation in adolescents and adults, and also what method of treatment is needed during an attack.

Causes of appendicitis development

Precisely say why some people develop appendicitis, and others do not, doctors can not always say. Appendicitis is the process of inflammation of the appendix of the appendix.

Among the most common causes of its occurrence are infections that fall into the organ.

Sometimes the attack is caused by bacteria that normally live in the intestines, but because of external or internal causes, they become too much.

Pathogens with appendicitis can become bacteria of Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus and other pyogenic microorganisms.

Among the factors that provoke a change in the intestinal microflora and the onset of inflammation of the appendix, doctors usually distinguish the following:

• narrowing or complete blockage of the luminal appendage. This can occur as a result of a congenital anomaly of the organ, and because of the appearance of a neoplasm, accumulation of stools and ingress of a foreign body;
• defects in the operation of blood vessels, which disrupts the supply of blood to the walls of the intestine and provokes stagnant processes, inflammation, and sometimes necrosis of the appendix;
• acute expansion of the intestinal wall. It can be caused by neurogenic processes and impairment of peristalsis of the intestinal wall, which causes increased mucus formation.

Over time, lead to appendicitis can such problems in the body as constipation, heart disease and blood vessels, infection, especially the intestines.

Some pelvic pathologies can also cause appendicitis in both women and men.

In a child and adolescent, appendicitis arises most often due to congenital narrowing of the lumen of the cecum, but may also be caused by certain diseases, for example, angina.

Regardless of the cause, appendicitis can occur in two forms - acute and chronic. Most often there is an acute attack of inflammation with bright painful symptoms.

The chronic type of the disease is extremely rare, its symptoms are poorly expressed, therefore it can be difficult to diagnose it.

How to recognize acute appendicitis?

The easiest way to notice the signs of acute appendicitis, because it is characterized by very severe pain that a person can not ignore.

In most cases, inflammation of the appendix does not cause harm to health if a person is on time medical care.

However, there are the most dangerous signs of appendicitis in adults and adolescents - they need to pay attention first.

The first signs of appendicitis are abdominal pain. At first they do not have a clear localization, but then they are felt, as a rule, in the right part of the abdomen, where the process of inflammation proceeds.

A dangerous symptom is considered to be the abating of pain with its subsequent resumption after a while.

And after repeated occurrence of a spasm most often can not be eliminated with the help of tablets and other means. Similar symptoms can talk about rupturing the walls of the appendix and inflammation of the peritoneum.

As soon as possible, you need to bring a person to the doctor and in the event that he is constantly sick, but vomiting does not bring relief.

Vomiting is a characteristic symptom of appendicitis and inflammation without complications, but in this case it is usually a response to the occurrence of severe pain and is a single-shot.

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A strong rise or fall in temperature, peritoneal muscle tension on the right and left side, a change in consciousness - all these symptoms indicate a complication caused by the onset of inflammation and require urgent medical attention.

If the inflammation has not caused any additional problems, the first signs of acute appendicitis will be less pronounced, but also quite bright and noticeable for the person himself and for others.

An attack of acute inflammation begins with pain that is not related to external factors. Initially, it occurs in the place of the solar plexus or above the navel.

Some can not say exactly where they feel pain - this is also characteristic of appendicitis. The pain lasts for a long time, it can intensify and weaken, but it does not completely go away.

Strengthen the pain can move, cough, change of position - that's why people with appendicitis try not to move.

In addition to pain on the right side and in the center, an attack of appendicitis is accompanied by other symptoms, in particular, nausea and vomiting - so the body reacts to the onset of inflammation.

Vomiting can be both undigested food and yellow mucus. As a rule, it is single.

An attack of inflammation accompanies a rise in temperature, but it rarely rises above 39 degrees.

To determine that an adolescent or an adult has appendicitis, it is possible by the disorder of bowel movement and urination: a person is tormented by diarrhea or constipation, there is frequent urination, while the color of urine is saturated dark.

Symptoms of chronic form

Symptoms of chronic appendicitis are much weaker, so it is not always possible to quickly identify this disease.

Chronic appendicitis can go into an attack, but is usually characterized by a delayed inflammation, which explains the mild symptoms.

As with acute form, chronic appendicitis accompanies pain. They can be either on the right side of the abdomen or in another area, but they are most often localized in the iliac or umbilical region.

If pain is intensified( often due to physical stress), it begins to be transmitted to other areas of the body, for example, the lower back, thigh or groin, but also localizes mainly to the right.

Thus, the first symptoms of the chronic form of the disease are permanent pains on the right side and in other parts of the body that do not have a specific cause.

Often because of an inflamed appendix, the digestive system suffers, which leads to a disorder of the stool - diarrhea or, conversely, constipation.

Otherwise, chronic appendicitis is almost imperceptible - the temperature and pressure remain normal, people rarely experience deterioration.

If a person has an attack of chronic appendicitis, then at this moment there may be nausea, which sometimes goes into vomiting.

During an attack, all the main symptoms of inflammation are amplified, so it is much easier to notice objective signs, because they become the same as in the acute form of the disease. Most often chronic appendicitis is noticed at this very moment.

It is impossible to independently determine chronic appendicitis, however, pain in the right side of the abdomen, stool disorders and other symptoms is an occasion to consult a doctor.

For the detection of an inflamed appendix and the exclusion of other diseases, it is necessary to conduct many analyzes.

The patient is taking blood - chronic appendicitis often develops weakly expressed leukocytosis.

Urine analysis can also detect a chronic form of the disease, but most often if a person has also a pathology of the urinary system.

To detect inflammation of the appendix, ultrasound and x-rays are also used - they can detect obstruction of the opening and the development of an abscess of the appendix, if it has already begun to develop.

What to do with appendicitis?

If an adult or child suddenly has a stomach ache in the right part or another area, and there are other symptoms that are characteristic of the inflammation of the appendix, the first thing to do is call an ambulance.

At home, treatment for appendicitis is strictly prohibited, but several things can be done to alleviate the condition of the patient before the ambulance arrives.

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To reduce pain, a person should be in a horizontal position. If the attack is acute, then the pain can be reduced by means of a container with cold water or ice - they need to be applied to the right side of the abdomen.

Since cold exposure can adversely affect the body, it is only necessary to apply the pain medication through a tissue liner - this minimizes the possible risks.

Since it is impossible to determine which organ is damaged, it is necessary to call an ambulance in any case, even if you doubt that you have an attack of appendicitis.

It is forbidden to relieve pain, even very severe, with the help of tablets, alcohol and other means, except for cooling.

Also in no case can do warming up compresses - this can lead to rupture of the appendix. Prohibited laxatives and enemas - they can worsen the general condition of a person.

Treatment of appendicitis with conservative methods is impossible: both children and adults with an attack of acute inflammation show an operation to remove the appendix.

It is done 2 to 4 hours after the person is taken to hospital, so the sooner you call the ambulance, the easier the consequences of inflammation will be.

Chronic appendicitis also is not treated conservatively and requires surgery, but the consequences after it are usually heavier due to the fact that the inflammation is rarely seen on time.

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In rare cases, the treatment of medicines is used to remove the appendix, but it is possible only with the chronic form of the disease.

In this case, the treatment is performed using antibiotics, which are administered intravenously. During treatment, it is necessary to observe a sparing diet, which reduces the load on the intestines.

In most cases, appendicitis passes without complications for both children and adults. The most important thing is to deliver a person to the hospital in time, but for this it is necessary to know what exactly the first symptoms are characteristic for exacerbation of the inflammation of the appendix.

In case of their detection, it is not worth trying to improve a person's condition independently, since this can cause negative consequences for the body.