how to identify appendicitis
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed and fills with pus. How to determine appendicitis ? Monitor your symptoms.
Step One: What Symptoms May Occur at Home?
- Pay attention to abdominal pain. Pain associated with appendicitis usually begins around the belly button or directly in the navel area, then the pain gradually moves to the lower right side of the abdomen, just above the pelvic bone.
- Press on your stomach, if it is too painful for you even with a light touch, especially on the lower right side, call an ambulance.
- Pay attention to the hardness. When you press on the stomach, your finger sinks very slightly into the tissue. You may feel that your stomach is unusually hard and tight, and also bloated. This is another symptom of appendicitis.
- Try standing up straight and walking. If you cannot do this without severe pain, then this is another symptom indicating appendicitis. In addition, you notice that the pain decreases in the side position or in the fetal position.
- Trace the path of pain.
how to identify appendicitis
Step Two: Look for Other Symptoms of Appendicitis
It is not necessary that you will have all the symptoms. But even the presence of several is a reason to consult a doctor.
- Fever - if your temperature is 38 or more, consult a doctor immediately.
- Chills;
- Constipation. If constipation is combined with frequent vomiting, then this strongly indicates appendicitis;
- Diarrhea;
- Nausea;
- Vomit;
- Back pain;
- Tenesmus (false painful urge to defecate)
how to identify appendicitis
Step three: if you still doubt that you have appendicitis, then find out what not to do
- And so, if your temperature is 38 and above, then clearly what you should not do is wait, you should call a doctor.
- It is strictly forbidden to take laxatives and painkillers.
- Do not take antacids. They can also aggravate the pain associated with appendicitis.
- Avoid eating foods that may cause stomach irritation. Follow the same diet that you follow during the recovery period after suffering from the flu.
how to identify appendicitis
Step four: you have every reason to believe you have appendicitis, then simply pick up the phone and call an ambulance
- When the ambulance arrives, describe all your symptoms. Pay attention to any abnormalities, whether constipation, diarrhea or vomiting. Try to tell your doctor when you first noticed the pain.
- Be prepared for your doctor to palpate your abdomen to rule out peritonitis. If peritonitis is suspected, the abdominal muscles will be severely spasmed. The doctor may even perform quick rectal exams.
- Additional diagnostic tests: A blood test, abdominal CT scan, or ultrasound may be prescribed by your doctor to confirm the diagnosis of appendicitis.
Adviсe
The most serious complication of appendicitis is the rupture of the appendix and the release of contents into the sterile abdominal cavity, resulting in peritonitis.
Babies with appendicitis sometimes have feeding problems and may seem unusually sleepy. They very often refuse to eat, even their favorite foods.
People with the following conditions may not have the classic symptoms of appendicitis. Although symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, and bloating are common, such people may only feel a general state of fatigue and discomfort. Symptoms of appendicitis are almost impossible to detect in a timely manner in people:
- With HIV infection;
- Obesity;
- Diabetes;
- Cancer;
- In patients after organ transplantation;
- Pregnant women (risk is highest during the third trimester)
- Babies;
- Old people;
- Causes of appendicitis
- The reasons for it have not been sufficiently studied.
- The disease refers to inflammatory processes:
- The development of the inflammatory process in the appendix is caused by microorganisms: E. coli, staphylococci, streptococci and microorganisms that live in the absence of air (anaerobes).
- Quite often, the appendix becomes inflamed after the gastrointestinal tract is overloaded with a large amount of protein food, especially after holiday overeating.
- A sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the occurrence of the disease.
- Prevention of appendicitis
- Animal proteins must be alternated with easily digestible proteins from dairy products.
- Include enough vegetables and fruits in your diet. It is especially necessary to avoid overeating.
- Of great importance in prevention is the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases and, in particular, the fight against constipation.
how to determine appendicitis
Although mortality from appendicitis has decreased significantly in recent years. But !
Warnings!!!
- Never delay calling an ambulance if you have even the slightest suspicion of appendicitis.
- A ruptured appendix can lead to death.
- If the symptoms of appendicitis become more intense, then complications may have already begun.
- Pay attention to the symptoms of appendicitis and remember that the disease can be life-threatening!
Source: http://dietstol.ru/kak-opredelit-appendicit-4-shaga/
7 symptoms that can help you identify appendicitis
Today we will talk about how to identify appendicitis at home before seeing a doctor. This is the most common disease of the abdominal cavity, which in most cases ends with surgery. In this article we will talk about what the disease is, give the first 7 symptoms of appendicitis and tell you what the essence of its treatment is.
Why does appendicitis occur?
Inflammation of the appendix (appendix) of the cecum is called appendicitis. The intensity of the inflammatory process will be different for everyone: someone will hunch over from a sudden acute pain and will not even be able to move, while someone will persistently endure discomfort in the right lower abdomen, as they say, on their legs.
This is the appendix
It has been noticed that most often appendicitis occurs at a young age (up to 25-30 years), but mature people should not relax either. Among patients with this disease, women predominate (twice as often). However, why it develops in some people and not in others is not known for certain - there are only assumptions. There is a hypothesis about the infectious cause of inflammation of the appendix.
In addition, in women this can occur as a result of gynecological diseases, and in men appendicitis can be triggered by hidden infectious processes and bad habits, and in children it often occurs due to congenital narrowing of the lumen of the cecum. Also, medical observations show that foreign bodies and fecal stones can block the lumen of the appendix. There is also a theory that the development of appendicitis is influenced by spasm of the blood vessels supplying the appendix.
Symptoms of acute appendicitis in men and women
So, let's discuss how to identify appendicitis at home so that you can be prepared if something happens. Most often, people are diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the symptoms of which are pronounced. In turn, the signs of chronic appendicitis are “erased” and make diagnosis difficult.
With the acute development of the disease, a person experiences:
- Severe sharp pain in the right lower abdomen or in the navel area. It is worth remembering that at first the pain will be diffuse, you will not be able to accurately indicate the place of its origin. But over time, localization will become more and more distinct and will help to find out where the source of inflammation is located. And for some, an attack of appendicitis is accompanied by mild pain, and some describe their sensations not as acute pain, but as a dull or cutting pain.
- When moving or trying to change position, the pain intensifies.
- Vomiting, nausea, slight dizziness, weakness, chills.
- Temperature rises to 39-40 degrees.
- The process of urination is disrupted, and the color of urine may become dark.
- Flatulence, diarrhea or, conversely, constipation may occur.
- Obraztsov's symptom. If a person lifts his straightened right leg, pain occurs in the right iliac region. This occurs due to the fact that, from the tension of certain muscles, the receptors of the inflamed appendix of the cecum are irritated.
Where does appendicitis hurt?
It is also worth noting that if, during appendicitis, the pain suddenly subsides for a while, and then intensifies with renewed vigor, this may indicate the development of peritonitis.
Symptoms of chronic appendicitis in women and men
Chronic appendicitis is diagnosed much less frequently than acute appendicitis. This form of the disease usually does not require surgical treatment. The symptoms of chronic appendicitis are characteristic of acute appendicitis, but their peculiarity is that they appear and disappear.
- Constant or periodic pain in the right side of the abdomen below or near the navel.
- Increased pain from sneezing, coughing, after physical activity.
- Obraztsov's symptom.
- Intestinal disorders
- In case of exacerbation - nausea, vomiting.
What to do if you have appendicitis
If you suspect you have appendicitis, you should not take painkillers, place a heating pad on your stomach, or do an enema. You should immediately call an ambulance and wait for the doctors in bed, abstaining from eating.
In the hospital, you must tell the doctor about previous illnesses - this will help save time on making the correct diagnosis. The fact is that the symptoms of some diseases are very similar to the signs of appendicitis. For example, similar pain sensations are possible with inflammation of the gallbladder or with gynecological pathologies in women.
Acute appendicitis cannot be treated with tablets. In this case, an emergency operation is performed to remove the inflamed appendix, so you need to be mentally prepared for it. However, if you have severe pain symptoms, you yourself will beg the doctors for a speedy operation.
Today, the least traumatic method is laparoscopic appendectomy (through small holes in the peritoneum), but hospitals continue to practice laparotomy (when the abdominal wall is cut). In the latter case, the duration of the postoperative period increases compared to laparoscopy. After the operation, you will have a small scar as a souvenir.
Is it possible to cure appendicitis without surgery?
As for the spontaneous cure of a person with appendicitis, such cases are rare, but they do happen. Recently, British scientists came up with a way to avoid surgery for appendicitis. Watch the video:
We would like to add that in any case, you should definitely consult a doctor to prescribe treatment!
Progression of appendicitis without treatment
What happens if appendicitis is left untreated?
Source: https://legkomed.ru/zabolevaniya/kak-opredelit-appendicit-v-domashnih-usloviyah/
Determine appendicitis at home in 15 seconds
Home → Home treatment → Emergency conditions → Appendicitis
As everyone knows, appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. It can be either acute or chronic. Nowadays, much more attention has been paid to the disease, since if you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, it can go into a more severe phase - peritonitis and lead to death.
How to quickly identify appendicitis in men and women
In order to protect yourself and your loved ones, you need to know a few initial symptoms of appendicitis so that you can take action at home.
Of course, the first sign that helps identify appendicitis in adults and attracts attention is pain in the right side . It can be acute, constant, or appearing from time to time. When walking, laughing, running, the pain intensifies.
- To check for appendicitis at home, a sure sign is that your abdomen feels hard when you press on the area where the appendix is located.
- How to determine that appendicitis hurts yourself, here are some tips.
- To independently determine inflammation of the appendix, you need to place the patient on a flat surface.
- Do not press too hard with your fingers on the right side.
- Let go quickly.
If after the manipulation there is pronounced pain, then you should not hesitate to visit a specialist.
These signs are basic, but also deceptive, because pain in the abdominal area can indicate completely different diseases. Therefore, you should pay attention to small details such as:
- Temperature increase. If a high temperature persists for a long time, all other causes are excluded, then the symptom indicates appendicitis. In children, the temperature can rise to 40°.
- Nausea and vomiting. These signs appear in almost all patients. When sick, vomiting is a reflex. As a rule, in very young children, during exacerbation of appendicitis, nausea occurs much more often than in adults.
- Diarrhea or constipation is quite rare, but can be symptoms of inflammation of the appendix. As a rule, these signs are often the consequences of ordinary food poisoning.
To understand that appendicitis has burst, you don’t need many symptoms - sharp pain, possible loss of consciousness, severe bouts of vomiting. It is dangerous because it can cause peritonitis and poisoning of the whole body, if the operation is not performed within half an hour, it can be fatal.
Chronic appendicitis
In fact, this is a rather rare disease, occurring mainly in adults. The symptoms are almost the same as for acute appendicitis, but may not be as pronounced, without an increase in temperature. Pain, as a rule, occurs constantly, but not with such force .
Characteristic signs of human behavior with appendicitis:
- due to severe pain in the abdominal area, the person is unable to move. To reduce pain, lie on your right side, curled up;
- lack of appetite due to constant vomiting, after which there is no relief.
What should not be done if appendicitis is suspected:
- You should not resort to taking painkillers, as this will only make the situation worse.
- Do not apply a heating pad to your stomach, it may increase the inflammatory process.
- Do not take laxatives if you are constipated; they put pressure on the appendix and can lead to rupture.
- You cannot put off calling a doctor, as sad consequences will not keep you waiting.
Rupture of the appendix and release of pus into the abdominal area will certainly lead to peritonitis, which can lead to a worse outcome if the patient is not operated on within a few hours.
How doctors define appendicitis:
- The first thing that is necessary is to accurately indicate to the doctor the symptoms that were observed.
- Most likely, you will have to do an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and donate blood for an accurate diagnosis, so the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
But the above symptoms do not appear in such groups of people as:
- diabetics;
- pregnant women;
- elderly people;
- cancer patients;
- HIV-infected;
- little kids.
Appendicitis in pregnant women
Unfortunately, inflammation of the appendix in pregnant women is not so uncommon; it often appears in the 2nd trimester. It can easily be confused with the typical abdominal pain associated with this position.
When a woman has appendicitis, her pulse and breathing quicken, her body temperature rises, and nausea and vomiting appear, which can be confused with toxicosis.
The pain, depending on the stage of pregnancy, can be based in different parts of the abdominal region. Its location depends on the degree of pressure of the uterus on the appendix: the longer the period, the stronger the uterus puts pressure on the appendix, and the higher it rises, as a result of which the location of the pain changes.
Of course, the longer the pregnancy, the greater the chance that appendicitis can adversely affect the fetus. The most dangerous and common complication after appendicitis is termination of pregnancy. Other consequences are placental abruption, acute intestinal failure, peritonitis.
If a woman exhibits these symptoms during pregnancy, it is better not to hesitate and consult a doctor, as it can harm not only the woman, but also the unborn baby.
Acute appendicitis in elderly people
In older people, appendicitis is more difficult to recognize than in young people. Due to the increased threshold of pain sensitivity, patients often do not pay attention to the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the iliac region.
There is one peculiarity - the appearance of a small tumor in the place where the appendix is located, after several days of mild pain in this area.
Body temperature often remains normal or may increase slightly, nausea and vomiting occur much more often than in middle-aged people. When physical processes in the body are slow, stool retention does not play an important role in determining inflammation of the appendix.
Appendicitis in a child
It is most difficult to determine appendicitis in young children. If a child complains of pain, do not delay calling an ambulance.
In children under 2 years of age, this disease is extremely rare due to the immaturity of the digestive system. According to statistics, patients with appendicitis are more common in adolescence. If the child is over 7 years old, then the symptoms of inflammation of the appendix will be similar to the symptoms of adults.
Difficulty in determining the diagnosis arises due to the fact that the child begins to cry, be capricious, and cannot clearly express what hurts or how it hurts. But there are several distinctive signs of a child’s behavior with inflammation of the appendage of the cecum. He squats down, holds his stomach, or lies on his right side in a ball, and does not allow anyone to touch his stomach.
On the first night, after the pain appears, the child will sleep restlessly, constantly waking up. Children often develop a high temperature, reaching 40°. The pain intensifies when bending to the right and when getting dressed.
Nausea and vomiting are not uncommon symptoms of appendicitis in children. The child's condition is deteriorating. Lethargy, weakness appear, and appetite disappears. When accidentally touched on the tummy, the child begins to cry and scream.
It should be remembered that the consequences of surgery to remove the appendix in children can be much worse than in adults, so you should not hesitate to call a doctor and have surgery.
To prevent inflammation of the appendix in a child, you need to know several causes of appendix blockage:
- Low immunity. Frequent colds, acute respiratory viral infections, and flu lead to a decrease in immunity due to the use of various antibiotics. As a result, the child’s body is unable to cope with harmful bacteria and various infections, and they penetrate the appendix and provoke inflammation.
- Foreign objects and worms. In addition, the child often swallows the skins of seeds, seeds along with berries, and small bones from fish, which leads to blockage of the appendix (appendicitis).
- Excess protein foods in the diet, overeating, obesity (these reasons may also apply to adults).
Do not delay calling an ambulance under any circumstances!
So, if you find a combination of even several of the above symptoms, then there is a high risk that it is appendicitis. But after an independent examination, it is necessary to examine a surgeon, and you should not hesitate, because it is he who will make an accurate diagnosis.
Source: https://lechim-prosto.ru/kak-opredelit-appenditsit-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html
How to recognize appendicitis
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix of the cecum.
In most cases, the patient requires surgical treatment: the person undergoes an appendectomy (removal of the inflamed appendix).
In the absence of adequate medical care, the development of serious complications is possible. To identify appendicitis and prevent the formation of severe complications, it is necessary to know the characteristic symptoms of an attack.
Main features
Knowing the main symptoms of the pathology will help you understand that it is appendicitis that hurts. These include:
- Area of localization of pain. Initially, a person cannot indicate the exact area in which he feels pain. Over the next few hours, the pain “sinks” into the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. This is a sign of involvement of the parietal peritoneum in the pathological process. The pain intensifies when taking a deep breath, laughing or coughing.
- Inability to assume a vertical position. When the pain becomes too severe, a person cannot keep his back straight all the time. To recognize appendicitis, you can, if the patient wishes, take the fetal position: he lies on his side and presses his legs to his stomach. In this position, the pain becomes quieter.
- Nausea ending in vomiting. This symptom is typical of food poisoning. But incessant nausea will indicate inflammation of the appendix: emptying the stomach will not bring relief. It is important to remember that a child may vomit repeatedly, but an elderly patient may not. You can read more about how to determine inflammation of the appendix in a child in this article.
- Increase in general body temperature. Inflammation of the appendix is accompanied by an increase in body temperature to 38 degrees. In children, this figure can reach 40 degrees. If a significant increase in temperature is observed in adult patients, then the risk of intestinal rupture and the development of peritonitis is high.
- Changing the stool. In adults, the composition of feces does not undergo any characteristic changes, but in children it is possible that diarrhea may develop. You can distinguish appendicitis from food poisoning: when the appendix is inflamed, the pain does not go away after the intestines are emptied.
- Dryness of the oral mucous membranes. With exacerbation of chronic appendicitis and its acute form, this is one of the leading symptoms.
- Painful urination. The disease can be identified by the development of unpleasant sensations accompanying the release of the bladder. Additionally, a person may feel discomfort in the groin area.
Important! In young children, an attack of acute appendicitis may be accompanied by the development of a cough and runny nose, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of appendicitis.
If a person experiences the simultaneous development of several symptoms at once, it is necessary to call an ambulance.
Taking any painkillers is prohibited, as this leads to blurring of symptoms and makes it difficult to make a preliminary diagnosis.
To accurately confirm or refute the presence of pathology, the patient is prescribed a blood test and some other tests.
Instructions for determining appendicitis
To identify inflammation of the appendix, you can use the following instructions. The person stands on a flat surface and begins to walk in place, raising his knees as high as possible. If the pain begins to intensify, then the likelihood of developing appendicitis is quite high.
The man lies down on his back. The muscles of the body are completely relaxed. You need to carefully palpate the abdomen in the area of the projection of appendicitis. If there is inflammation, the abdominal muscles will be very tense, and manipulation will cause increased pain.
Checking for the Shchetkin-Blumber symptom. The patient lies on his back. It is necessary to press your palm in the navel area and sharply tear your hand away. Appendicitis can be preliminarily diagnosed by the appearance of a sharp pain radiating directly to the navel.
Author's symptoms
There are a number of proven symptoms that allow you to understand at home that a person has developed appendicitis.
Blood counts for appendicitis
- Kocher-Wolchkovsky's symptom. A characteristic sign of inflammation is the path of pain. They are initially noted in the epigastric region, then move down to the navel and eventually migrate to the lower right side of the abdomen.
- Shchetkin-Blumberg symptom. If you apply slow pressure on the area of projection of the process, the pain is practically not felt. But when the fingers are abruptly torn off, a severe pain syndrome is formed. The symptom may indicate inflammation of the peritoneum or peritonitis that has begun. Does not appear with an atypical location of the process.
- Rovsing's sign. If you simultaneously press on the descending colon and the area located above, then in the presence of appendicitis the patient will feel pain. It is caused by intestinal gases entering the inflamed appendix.
- Voskresensky's symptom. You need to sharply draw a line with your fingers from the right hypochondrium in the lower right part of the abdomen. If inflammation is present, the patient will feel pain when completing the movement.
- Obraztsov's symptom. If the patient raises his right leg high and presses his fingers on the iliac region of the right side, the person will experience severe pain.
Palpation of the abdominal cavity when identifying author's symptoms should be carried out as carefully as possible.
Otherwise, it is possible that the integrity of the inflamed appendix may be damaged and its contents may spill into the abdominal cavity.
When appendicitis is diagnosed, the patient is prescribed removal of the inflamed appendix. Treatment of pathology at home is unacceptable, as it can cause death.
Localization of pain depending on the location of the appendix
With the classic location of the appendix, the leading sign of pathology is pain. It is described as stabbing/aching. The attack begins suddenly, without any preconditions, in the second half of the day (most often).
Initially, a feeling of discomfort is formed in the epigastric area. Later, as the inflammatory process progresses, the characteristics of the pain change.
They become more pronounced, intense and descend into the right iliac abdomen.
At this stage of the development of inflammation, a person is haunted by certain sensations: pain intensifies not only when walking, but also when laughing, sneezing, coughing. To alleviate the condition, he is forced to take the fetal position: his legs are in a position on the right side, tucked towards his stomach. Otherwise, your health will deteriorate significantly.
With an atypical location of the inflamed appendix - retrocircular or pelvic - pain from the epigastric zone moves to the groin area, lumbar area, or hypochondrium. This depends on the position of the inflamed process. The pain remains constant, but the symptoms of inflammation increase slowly.
When the appendix is in the pelvic position, when it is rotated into the pelvic region, pain is felt in the suprapubic space. Its character resembles cystitis.
If the pain syndrome suddenly disappears, then this is one of the signs of necrotization of inflamed tissues.
Rupture of the walls of the appendix can occur at any time, which will lead to the development of peritonitis and other, more serious complications, including death.
Diagnostics
To find out whether there is inflammation or not, the patient is prescribed a blood test. The presence of pathology is confirmed by an increase in the level of leukocytes (normally 8–9*109/l). Leukocytosis is especially pronounced during the development of a purulent process. As the condition worsens, the leukocyte count shifts to the left, which is accompanied by the appearance of band myelocytes.
There is an increase in ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Urinalysis is used as a method of differential diagnosis. Helps to separate pathologies of the genitourinary system from the inflammatory process in the appendix. With the development of renal colic, red blood cells will be detected in the urine.
Additionally, instrumental research methods are prescribed:
- Ultrasound;
- CT scan;
- MRI.
The methods have their contraindications. Differential diagnosis allows you to separate inflammation of the appendix from other diseases that occur with similar symptoms.
Temperature | Abdominal pain | Nausea and vomiting | Dry mouth | Constipation/Diarrhea | Frequent/difficulty urinating |
Gastritis | + | + | + | + | |
Gastroenteritis | + | + | + | + | |
Stomach ulcer | + | + | |||
Perforated duodenal ulcer | + | + | + | ||
Pancreatitis | + | + | + | + | |
Meckel's diverticulitis | + | + | + | + | |
Adnexitis (inflammation of the uterine appendages) | + | + | + | ||
Apoplexy (ovarian rupture) | + | + | + | + | |
Colitis | + | + | + | ||
Intestinal tuberculosis | + | + | + | + | |
Cystitis | + | + | + | ||
Kidney inflammation | + | + | + | ||
Cholecystitis | + | + | + | + |
Inflammation of appendicitis is a serious pathology that requires urgent medical attention. That is why, when characteristic symptoms appear, it is necessary to obtain qualified advice.
Source: https://vrbiz.ru/diagnostika/kak-raspoznat-appendicit
Determining the symptoms of appendicitis at home - Appendicitis.net
Thanks to prompt diagnosis of acute appendicitis, it is possible to detect the disease in time and begin its treatment. This pathology is dangerous due to the appearance of serious complications, which is why it is so important to carry out surgical intervention as early as possible. To detect the disease in a timely manner, you need to know how to identify appendicitis at home.
Symptoms
To diagnose pathology at an early stage of development and distinguish it from other problems in the digestive system, you need to pay attention to the symptoms of appendicitis:
- Pain in the abdomen. With the development of appendicitis, pain is first felt in the navel area, after which it gradually moves to the right lower abdomen. Discomfort appears suddenly and is vague. Usually there is a dull aching pain that does not allow you to take a deep breath. In addition, they increase significantly when coughing or laughing.
- Forced body position. When appendicitis develops, a person cannot straighten up or move normally - this is due to abdominal pain. Another sign of inflammation is the forced posture of an adult or child - the patient lies on his side and raises his legs.
- Nausea and vomiting. With the development of appendicitis, abdominal pain is almost always accompanied by nausea. Debilitating vomiting that does not bring relief may also occur. Sometimes it happens once, but in most cases this condition lasts quite a long time. It is worth considering that in a child or teenager, vomiting is frequent, while in adults this symptom can occur literally 1-2 times. In old age there are no such symptoms.
- Increased body temperature. Usually this figure is 37.5-38 degrees, but in a child it can rise to 40 degrees. If the temperature increases significantly in an adult, this indicates the progression of inflammation.
- Abnormal stool. In most cases there is no this symptom. But if the appendix in an adult or child is located abnormally, constipation may occur. In rare cases, diarrhea may also develop. It is worth considering that in case of poisoning, loose stools bring temporary relief to a person, while in case of appendicitis the condition remains the same - abdominal pain does not disappear after defecation.
- Dry mouth. If abdominal pain is accompanied by this symptom, we can talk about the development of appendicitis.
Causes of bloating with appendicitis
Sometimes inflammation of the appendix causes frequent and painful urination. Symptoms such as pain in the genitals and lower back may also appear. The child may develop a runny nose and cough, which makes it difficult to diagnose appendicitis in a timely manner.
Methods for self-determination of appendicitis
How to recognize appendicitis? To check for yourself whether you have inflammation in the appendix, you can do the following:
- Lie down on a flat surface - bed or floor. Place your arms along your body, spread your legs slightly, and then bend your knees. In this case, the second person should lightly press the area in the lower right corner of the abdomen with the fingers of his right hand, and then sharply remove his hand. If pain occurs at this point, you should consult a doctor. With appendicitis, the groin, navel or left side often hurts.
- Lie on the floor, place your arms along your body, and straighten your legs. First, raise your right leg 50-60 degrees. At this moment, the second person should remove the edge of his hand quite strongly along the heel. Similar actions need to be done with the left leg. Pain in the right side of the abdomen is a characteristic symptom of appendicitis.
- To understand whether a child has a stomach ache, you should look for specific symptoms. If the baby suddenly squats down and cries a lot, this indicates the development of inflammation.
- To diagnose appendicitis yourself, you can try coughing. Echoes of pain will occur in the right corner of the abdomen.
- If appendicitis is suspected, the person should be asked to walk. When the appendix is inflamed, the stomach hurts while walking. If every step is accompanied by discomfort, we can talk about the development of appendicitis.
- It is worth carefully palpating the stomach. Tightness of the abdominal wall will help identify appendicitis.
The listed symptoms in an adult or child should be a signal to consult a doctor, since there is a risk of appendix rupture or chronic inflammatory process.
Determining factors of acute appendicitis
What should you not do if you suspect appendicitis?
In such situations, it is strictly prohibited:
- Take laxatives or painkillers. Such actions will prevent the doctor from diagnosing inflammation of the appendix in a timely manner.
- Take medications for the intestines or stomach. They can cause an intense chemical reaction that can cause the appendix to rupture.
- Eat food before consulting a doctor. If the appendix is inflamed, emergency surgery may be required, and before surgery, you must refuse to eat. In addition, food can cause intestinal irritation, which will lead to increased pain.
- Apply a heating pad or warm compress to your stomach. Heat exposure will cause an acceleration of the inflammatory process.
If your stomach hurts and your temperature rises, under no circumstances should you hesitate. In such a situation, you should call an ambulance.
Diseases with similar symptoms
To determine inflammation of the appendix, additional examinations are often required. This is explained by the fact that the primary symptoms of the disease resemble signs of other pathologies. These include:
- pyelonephritis;
- Crohn's disease;
- inflammation of the uterus, tubes or ovaries;
- renal colic;
- peptic ulcer;
- colitis and enterocolitis;
- inflammation of the testicle;
- inflammation of small intestinal nodes;
- tear or stretch of the anterior abdominal muscles.
Diagnostics
To identify inflammation of the appendix, it is imperative to analyze the symptoms and conduct additional research:
- Urine and blood tests. When the appendix is inflamed, urine analysis remains normal, and this makes it possible to exclude kidney pathologies. Through a blood test, it will be possible to identify the inflammatory process, but the exact localization cannot be established.
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. This is the fastest and most reliable method for diagnosing appendicitis.
- CT scan. This study is prescribed when there is doubt about the correctness of the diagnosis.
Now you know how to identify appendicitis at home in adults and children. This is very important for timely surgical intervention. Therefore, the very first symptoms of the disease should force a person to call an ambulance - the slightest delay can provoke dangerous complications.
Source: https://appendicit.net/appendicit/simptomy/appendicit-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html
How to determine appendicitis - at home
Inflammation of the appendix is a very common disease that requires surgical intervention.
The operation itself is considered uncomplicated, but only if appendicitis is detected in a timely manner. Otherwise, this disease can lead to dangerous complications and even death.
It is very important to identify appendicitis in time, since only prompt action will relieve the consequences.
Appendicitis clinical picture
It is quite difficult to diagnose appendicitis on your own. Particular difficulties arise when identifying inflammation in women, the elderly and young children.
The pain that accompanies appendicitis is not immediately localized in a typical place, so the disease is often ignored and confused with other, less dangerous ailments. For example, women may mistake pain for menstrual pain.
This often leads to the patient delaying seeing a doctor, which puts him at great risk.
The causes of inflammation of the appendix can be different. Most often, acute appendicitis is caused by blockage of the lumen between the appendix and the cecum, damage to the mucous membrane, and the entry of food particles and fecal stones into the appendix.
Acute pain in the abdominal area that does not subside for three to four hours most often indicates appendicitis.
In this case, the patient tries to take the position that is most painless for him; usually he tries to lie on his right side. As a rule, during inflammation the temperature rises to 37.5-38 degrees, appetite disappears and a feeling of nausea occurs.
The pain intensifies when palpating the lower right side of the abdomen, but doing this on your own is very dangerous.
To avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to call an ambulance at the first suspicion of appendicitis. Only a doctor can make a final diagnosis.
Probable causes of inflammation
There are a number of reasons that can cause appendicitis. The most common is an infectious factor that can cause the development of inflammation in the presence of certain conditions:
- Blockage of the lumen of the appendix, which causes congestion to form inside the organ.
- Disorders of the vascular system, due to which the blood circulation of the appendix is weakened, vascular thrombosis.
- Disturbances leading to increased peristalsis and microcirculation failure.
Fears that poorly chewed food can cause appendicitis are not without merit. One of the reasons for inflammation of the appendix is its blockage with undigested particles (most often seeds), hard fecal formations, and foreign bodies.
It is believed that in the process of evolution the appendix ceased to perform its digestive functions, but still the digestive process affects the condition of the appendix.
The cause of inflammation of the appendix may be an infection of other organs, such as the intestines or respiratory tract. In addition, there are favorable factors for the development of appendicitis, such as immunodeficiency, the presence of an infectious focus in the body, and a tendency to allergic reactions.
The features of the appendix have not been fully studied by specialists, so it is difficult to identify a clear mechanism for the development of inflammation. However, it is important to know what specific causes can cause appendicitis in order to reduce the risk of the disease.
- Inflammation caused by infections.
- Chronic constipation.
- Pathological curvature of the process.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Consumption of meat in large quantities.
- Bad habits, stressful situations.
- Diseases of the abdominal organs.
Making an accurate diagnosis can be quite difficult even in a hospital setting, let alone diagnosing it at home.
Therefore, if you experience pain in the right lower abdomen, you should be wary and consult a doctor, because inflammation of the appendix is always an indication for its removal.
Signs and first symptoms of appendicitis
It is very difficult to accurately diagnose appendicitis at home, but it can be determined by the presence of both general and specific symptoms.
- Almost always the inflammatory process is accompanied by pain. In the case of appendicitis, pain occurs in the central part of the abdomen, in the navel area, which eventually migrates to the lower right part of the abdominal cavity. When coughing, sneezing, or taking a deep breath, the pain intensifies. If you lay the patient on the right side, bending the legs to the chest, the pain will decrease, while turning to the left side will increase the symptom. Such a manipulation will help determine appendicitis at home. The pain syndrome may subside a little, then increase, but if the pain has completely disappeared, this is a very alarming sign. It may indicate a ruptured appendix and blood poisoning. This condition is considered dangerous and leads to death.
- A patient who experiences severe pain due to appendicitis cannot straighten his back. Staying upright becomes an unbearable challenge for him, so he tends to lie on his side (preferably on the right) and tuck his legs in, imitating the fetal position.
- One of the signs of inflammation of the appendix is nausea and vomiting.
- An increase in temperature, as one of the main signs of inflammation, is characteristic of acute appendicitis. If in an adult patient the thermometer mark rises to 37 or 38, then for a small child the thermometer reading can rise to 40 degrees.
- For young patients, bowel movements are common. Often appendicitis is accompanied by diarrhea, which makes it possible to confuse the disease with an upset stomach or poisoning. However, one should be wary of the fact that with appendicitis there is no relief after bowel movement. Urination is accompanied by discomfort.
- White coating on the tongue and dry mouth also indicate inflammation of the appendix.
If several of the above symptoms are present at the same time, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance to avoid peritonitis and other complications. In this case, the victim should not be given any medications. A big risk arises when appendicitis is confused with another disease, trying to eliminate false symptoms with medications.
This can significantly harm the patient.
Accurate diagnosis
Recognizing appendicitis at home is not easy, as symptoms can often indicate other pathologies. But there are some manipulations that allow you to suspect inflammation of the appendix.
- If you ask the patient to stand up straight and take several steps with a straight back and high knees, the pain syndrome will intensify. This indicates an exacerbation of inflammation.
- The patient lies on his back and tries to completely relax. With appendicitis, the stomach will be swollen, the muscles will be tense, and light pressure on the stomach will lead to increased pain.
- If you lightly press on the area near the navel and then suddenly remove your hand, you will experience a sharp pain radiating to the navel. From this we can conclude that appendicitis has worsened.
Inflammation of the appendix can only be accurately determined with the help of a doctor. A number of diagnostic methods are used for this.
- Ultrasound examination is considered the most popular way to determine appendicitis. It can be used to study other internal organs. Ultrasound is considered a safe and inexpensive diagnostic method, but the accuracy of the diagnosis largely depends on the competence of the specialist.
- Medical thermography – examination with a thermal imager. Due to the fact that pathological processes in the body affect the distribution of heat, appendicitis can be diagnosed using this method very simply and with high reliability.
- Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging methods are often used to determine inflammation of the appendix. MRI is considered a safer method, and it is prescribed to diagnose the disease in children and pregnant women.
- Laparoscopy has the highest accuracy in determining appendicitis. The test involves inserting an optical tube with a small video camera into the abdominal cavity through an incision. Using this method, the doctor can accurately diagnose appendicitis and immediately begin surgery. The disadvantages of this method are that it is actually a surgical intervention and is performed under general anesthesia.
First aid
If you suspect inflammation of the appendix, it is very important to provide the patient with competent pre-medical care.
- As soon as it becomes clear that the patient has worsened appendicitis, it is necessary to call an ambulance.
- Providing peace to the patient is the first thing to do in this situation.
- You cannot resort to self-medication, give the patient medications, or use traditional medicine without a doctor’s prescription, as this will only worsen the situation.
- To relieve pain, you can apply ice to your stomach. Under no circumstances should you use a warm heating pad.
- Until a definitive diagnosis is established, you should refrain from eating and drinking water.
Treatment
For acute appendicitis, there is only one treatment option - surgery to remove the inflamed appendix. There are no other ways. It is impossible to refuse the operation, since the inflamed appendix can rupture, and this can be fatal. This is a simple operation, after which recovery occurs quite quickly.
The doctor prescribes a diet in which you need to eat often, but in small portions.
Treatment of chronic appendicitis with mild symptoms can be done conservatively.
In this case, antispasmodics, physiotherapeutic procedures, and preventive medications for intestinal disorders are prescribed.
This suggests that modern medicine tends to use surgical treatment only as a last resort, since a healthy appendix is not a useless organ, as was previously thought.
Doctors' opinion
Doctors consider appendicitis a dangerous disease only if the patient did not seek the help of specialists in time and tried to deal with the problem on his own at home. This is strictly prohibited. Even a doctor using special diagnostic devices cannot always accurately determine inflammation of the appendix.
Results
Appendicitis is considered a very common surgical disease, and operations to remove the appendix are not particularly difficult. Ignoring symptoms and self-medication can lead to dangerous complications. It is very important to seek medical help in time to avoid consequences that can be fatal.
Source: https://oappendicite.ru/simptomy/kak-opredelit-appendicit