by yoursl | Apr 23, 2020 | Health and Medicine |
Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix, which is a finger-shaped pouch with no known purpose that projects out from the large intestine on the lower right side of the abdomen. This inflammation causes abdominal pain of varying degrees and is usually treated by surgical removal of the appendix. If the inflammation is left untreated, the appendix can rupture, which can then release pus or infection into the abdominal cavity that can lead to a life-threatening infection called sepsis. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common symptoms of appendicitis include sudden pain that begins on the right side of the abdomen; sudden pain that begins around the navel and often shifts to the lower right abdomen; pain that worsens with coughing, walking, or with other jarring movements; nausea and vomiting; loss of appetite; low-grade fever that may worsen; constipation or diarrhea; abdominal bloating; and flatulence. The Mayo Clinic goes on to report that most often appendicitis occurs in people between the ages of 10 and 30 and that the site of pain may vary, depending on age and location of the appendix. As a recent appendectomy patient, I would like to point out that the above is the perfect textbook scenario that emergency room doctors hope to encounter. I, like my life, am anything but perfect or predictable. I went to bed on Monday with a touch of GI upset, which is my normal since I battle with an autoimmune disorder that tends to upset my stomach quite a bit. I woke up on Tuesday with the same light GI upset accompanied by a mild pain in a...
