It is important to pay attention to the signs of appendicitis if you suspect that you might be suffering from this illness. Appendicitis in general is a serious condition and in many cases it can even cause death. Appendicitis has many forms of manifestation in patients. There are two main types of appendicitis: chronic appendicitis and acute appendicitis. The signs of appendicitis in the chronic form of the illness are not always detectable. People with chronic appendicitis usually feel a generalized state of internal discomfort, fatigue and lack of energy. In the acute form of the illness, the signs of appendicitis are easier to detect, but they usually occur after the development of complications.
The signs of appendicitis have an unspecific character, also occurring in other conditions and diseases. The signs of appendicitis are usually more difficult to detect in elderly people, people with special conditions and very young children. Appendicitis refers to inappropriate activity of the vermiform appendix, a worm-shaped extension of the colon.
Appendicitis occurs due to blockage of the appendix and its ulterior infection with bacteria. In many cases, the blood vessels that irrigate the large intestine are also obstructed, speeding up the deterioration of the appendix and eventually causing its death. The most common form of treatment for appendicitis involves the extraction of the appendix from the body through a procedure called appendectomy. If the appendix isn’t surgically removed in time, it becomes enlarged, fills up with bacteria and it eventually bursts, causing serious internal complications.
Considering the fact that the illness usually evolves rapidly, it is important to timely spot the first signs of appendicitis. The most common sign of appendicitis is abdominal pain. Patients perceive this pain in different regions of the abdomen and at different intensities. However, this first sign of appendicitis usually occurs in the umbilical region and later localizes in the right lower side of the abdomen. The abdominal pain seems to amplify with physical effort and any kind of sudden moves. Abdominal pain on breathing, coughing or sneezing is also a sign of appendicitis.
Other signs of appendicitis are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal bloating, bad breath, fatigue and moderate fever.
Although these signs of appendicitis are common in people with acute forms of the illness, they don’t always occur in people with chronic appendicitis. There are also people with acute forms of illness that don’t have any signs of appendicitis at all. This special category of people includes: people with diabetes, people with HIV, people that have previously suffered surgical interventions (organ transplants) and obese people. In the case of people with special conditions, the signs of appendicitis are revealed late, therefore long after the illness becomes severe. Due to the fact that the signs of appendicitis are usually spotted late in some forms of the illness, the patients’ chances of recovery are considerably reduced.