Appendicitis occurs due to bacterial infection and obstruction of the vermiform appendix, a tube-shaped extension of the large intestine (the colon). The appendix is usually blocked by calculus or feces, causing it to swell. However, in some cases, the enlargement of the lymph nodes is responsible for the inappropriate activity of the appendix. Due to bacterial infection (also very common in appendicitis), the lymph nodes begin to swell and press against the walls of the appendix, causing it to block. The local blood circulation is also perturbed, causing the death of the appendix. The swelling of the appendix and bacterial infections can lead to serious complications, such as gangrene, sepsis and perforation of the appendix. The best option available in the treatment for appendicitis when confronted with a seriously damaged appendix is to surgically remove it from the body. The appendix doesn’t have a vital role inside the organism and its absence doesn’t affect the normal activity of the body.
The surgical treatment for appendicitis consists of a procedure called appendectomy. In uncomplicated forms of appendicitis, appendectomy is a simple surgical intervention. Most patients respond well to the surgical treatment for appendicitis and they fully recover within a few weeks after the operation. However, if the treatment for appendicitis is delayed, the chances of recovery are considerably diminished.
Appendicitis affects about 6-7 percent of the population in the United States and Europe. However, statistics indicate that in the last years the number of people diagnosed with appendicitis has considerably decreased. The development of appendicitis is facilitated by inappropriate diet. A healthy lifestyle and a diet rich in fibers can be useful in the prevention of appendicitis. Appendicitis can be developed by anyone, at any age. However, acute forms of the illness mostly occur in children and teenagers (ages 3-15) and also in older patients (ages over 50).
Despite the medical advance and the abundance of medications available nowadays, the recommended treatment for appendicitis remains appendectomy. Although in uncomplicated cases of the illness the doctors might prescribe antibiotics, the safest treatment for appendicitis is still considered to be surgery. The fact is that antibiotics and other medications can’t unblock the appendix without causing any internal damage and for this reason the most reasonable form of treatment for appendicitis is surgical intervention. If the presence of the illness is discovered in time, appendectomy is the safest option available today in the treatment for appendicitis.
