Appendix
is a small, finger-shaped pouch connected to the large intestine,
in the lower right part of our belly, also called the abdomen.
The appendix really has no purpose. So if a person needs to
have it removed, his or her body will work just fine after the
operation.
When
your appendix gets inflamed, or swells up, it is called appendicitis.
Both kids and adults can get this. There isn't always an obvious
reason why appendicitis happens. Sometimes it happens after
there is an infection in the intestine. Sometimes something
causes a blockage in the appendix, then it gets inflamed.
Appendicitis
is not contagious. This means you cannot catch it from anyone
who has it. But there isn't much you can do to prevent appendicitis
from happening.
Symptoms
People
have different types of symptoms when they have appendicitis.
Someone with appendicitis might feel as if he or she is having
stomach cramps or really bad indigestion.
Usually,
the first symptom is a bellyache around the belly button. Sometimes,
vomiting follows. After a few hours, the pains tend to move
down to the lower right side of the belly. Sometimes the pain
can become sharp and intense in this area.
A
person with appendicitis will not feel very hungry and might
have a slight fever. Some people do not want to move around
because they feel better if they lie down and curl up.
Doctor's Treatment
Any
time you have belly pain, you should see your doctor. If your
doctor thinks you could have appendicitis, you would need to
go in for an office visit or go to the emergency department.
At either place, a doctor will examine you, paying close attention
to your belly.
The
doctor can check for tenderness over your abdomen, especially
over the lower right side of your belly, a spot known as McBurney's
point. This spot hurts if a person has appendicitis. The doctor
also may test a small sample of the blood to see if there are
a high number of white blood cells, which means there could
be an infection in the body. Sometimes, doctors will take a
special picture like an X-ray, CAT scan, or ultrasound of the
abdomen.
If
the doctor decides that a patient has appendicitis, the appendix
will need to be removed in an operation. To prepare for an appendectomy
(the name for surgery that removes the appendix), a patient
will be given anesthesia. This puts him or her into a kind of
deep sleep and keeps the patient from feeling pain during the
surgery.
During
the operation, a surgeon will make a small cut in the abdomen
and remove the appendix. The operation will leave a tiny scar.
After the Appendix Is Gone
After
an appendectomy, a patient will stay in the hospital for a few
days. The time that patients need to recover from this operation
varies, but they usually return to their activities in about
one to three weeks.
A
person who's had an appendectomy will feel better soon, and
will not feel any different without an appendix. In fact, the
patient will not ever have to worry about appendicitis again.
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