With the combined length of both the small and large intestines exceeding 9 meters, these are very long organs in the body that can develop many abnormalities, including cancer and inflammation. Therefore, inflammation can occur at various points in the intestines. The most familiar inflamed area is the appendix, which ranges from 2-20 centimeters in length, located in the lower right abdomen.
So what exactly causes the small appendix, with a diameter about the size of a pinky finger, to become inflamed?
Q: Can we differentiate appendicitis pain from other types of abdominal pain, especially in women?
A: The appendix, right fallopian tube, and right ovary are all located close to each other. When women experience abdominal pain, it is often difficult to distinguish the cause. Therefore, the surgical team will refer the patient to a gynecologist before surgery for confirmation, as conditions such as ovarian cyst rupture, ectopic pregnancy, or fallopian tube inflammation may be detected. From experience, the first pain episode is often not felt directly at the appendix. Some may feel like they have stomach pain and may take medication and rest at home, but the pain does not subside. Thus, pain related to conditions requiring surgery should be observed if it lasts a long time without relief, typically 5-6 hours or more. On the other hand, the inflammation may spread, causing the pain to shift location, for example, from the navel moving down to the lower right abdomen.
Q: Is it true that guava seeds can cause appendicitis?
A: This belief has existed for a long time, thinking that eating guava causes seeds to fall into the appendix. However, medically, we have never found guava seeds inside the appendix.
Q: What is the real cause of appendicitis?
A: Hard stool blocks the appendix tube. In some cases, foreign objects may block it, or inflammation in other areas or enlarged lymph nodes in the region may cause obstruction. The appendix has a mucous membrane wall, and when the opening is blocked, the mucus produced by the body cannot exit, causing accumulation and swelling. This results in the appendix becoming distended. Normally, the appendix receives blood supply, but when it is distended to the point that blood flow is cut off, necrosis follows.
Q: How does appendicitis develop?
A: The abdominal pain worsens and symptoms become more severe within 6-24 hours. As we know, the appendix is part of the body located between the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix is located in the lower right abdomen. It has no specific function, but if not properly cared for and inflammation occurs, the inflamed appendix may rupture. The bacteria inside can spread rapidly throughout the body and may enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to death. Appendicitis symptoms develop quickly, with increasing abdominal pain and worsening condition within 6-24 hours.
Q: What kind of pain is considered appendicitis?
A: The appendix is located in the lower right abdomen. Whenever there is pain in this area, one should closely monitor themselves. However, pain in this area does not always mean appendicitis. Let’s look at what kind of abdominal pain is considered appendicitis:
- Sudden acute abdominal pain that has never occurred before, suddenly appearing in the lower right abdomen and progressively worsening. The pain can be so severe that it can wake you up from sleep immediately.
- Many cases start with pain around the navel that shifts to the lower right abdomen and intensifies. In pregnant women, the appendix often shifts to the upper abdomen, which may cause pain in that area.
- The lower right abdominal pain worsens with walking to the point where it is almost impossible to continue walking, and worsens with coughing, sneezing, or even riding in a vehicle on a bumpy road, causing severe jarring pain in the abdomen.
- Some may experience diarrhea for 2-3 consecutive days along with vomiting lasting more than 12 hours, or constipation, bloating, and gas in the stomach for more than 2 days, combined with lower right abdominal pain.
- Pressing lightly on the abdomen causes sharp, severe pain.
Q: Do appendicitis pains always occur in the same location?
A: Not necessarily. Pain can vary. In some cases, the appendix protrudes toward the front of the abdomen and inflammation occurs there, causing clearly severe pain, making it impossible to touch, causing bending while walking and vomiting, which is easy to diagnose. However, in some cases, the inflamed appendix retracts inward, causing less pain but bloating and discomfort, making it difficult to describe symptoms because pressing does not cause much pain. This is especially true in very obese patients with a lot of fat and a large abdomen, weighing around 100 kilograms, making diagnosis difficult because the appendix cannot be reached by pressing. The danger of unclear symptoms is that diagnosis may be missed.
Research from Duke University in the United States states that the appendix functions to create or protect microorganisms in the abdominal cavity. However, this small organ, if inflamed and not treated promptly, can be life-threatening. Appendicitis is an acute abdominal pain condition commonly found in people under 30 years old.
Q: How can appendicitis be treated and prevented?
A: The surgical method involves making an incision in the lower right abdomen to remove the appendix. Many may wonder why the appendix is operated on through the middle. In some cases where the appendix has ruptured and pus has spread extensively, a single incision cannot remove all the pus. Currently, medical advancements have developed various methods to manage the appendix, such as laparoscopic surgery, which uses a camera to explore the entire abdominal cavity. Traditional open surgery provides a narrow view, but using a camera offers dual benefits: it allows examination of abnormalities in the abdominal cavity, including the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Therefore, when experiencing the pain described above, do not wait for the appendix to rupture. If the appendix does rupture, immediate surgery is necessary, followed by appropriate treatment steps.
