Edited by an expert:
Nadezhda Primochkina, nutritionist – 12/13/2019
Inflammation of the appendix of the intestine (appendicitis) is the most common disease of the abdominal organs. There are several theories explaining the causes of appendicitis, but it has been scientifically proven that diet plays an important role in its development . Let's find out what foods can trigger inflammation of the appendix and what you need to eat to prevent the disease.
The main signs of appendicitis
The main symptom of the disease is pain, and more often than not it is this reason that becomes the reason for contacting a doctor. Pain in the abdominal area may not always indicate inflammation, but appendicitis often occurs initially with unclear localization of pain, and gradually aggravation is felt in the lower part of the peritoneum. The person feels discomfort, gradually turning into increasing nagging pain in the iliac region. He may experience lethargy, weakness, and fever. General malaise is often accompanied by vomiting, which is inconsistent.
Symptoms vary from person to person and largely depend on where the appendix is located. Its non-standard position causes an atypical character, so the symptoms manifest themselves in the most unexpected way. Surgeons observe the patient for some time, and if the pain appears suddenly and does not stop, but rather intensifies, then they decide on surgical intervention. It is difficult for patients to recognize appendicitis at home, and many recklessly take painkillers. The specialist faces a difficult task: to establish an accurate diagnosis due to a violation of clear symptoms.
It is important to remember: if you have abdominal pain, you should not take pills, and only in some cases you can take antispasmodics (drugs that relax muscles).
Let's take a look at all the reasons
Let's name all the reasons that provoke an exacerbation:
Appendicitis can occur due to the onset of inflammation of the end-type artery that supplies blood to the appendix. This causes blood clots to form and stop blood flow to the appendix. The shoot becomes an ideal place for bacteria to accumulate. Rapid inflammation and suppuration begins.
The vascular nature of appendicitis is characterized by a rapid transition to the destructive stage with complications. With this form of the disease, it is especially important to detect symptoms at home and immediately transport the patient to the hospital for surgery.
The most common disease that provokes inflammation of blood vessels and causes subsequent appendicitis is vascular vasculitis. This disease can develop if a person has been treated with heavy drugs, has been exposed to toxins for a long time, or has untreated infectious pathologies.
At home, you should pay attention to such signs of vasculitis as the appearance of hemorrhagic red spots (small but densely packed) and subcutaneous nodules on the skin. In the area of the rash, you can notice formations with a black crust - a skin infarction. All this is accompanied by fever and weakness.
After vasculitis or other vascular disease has been treated, it is important to respond more carefully to all cases of abdominal pain - after treatment for vascular diseases, a person is at risk of developing acute appendicitis.
You can get appendicitis due to blockage of the lumen of the cecum with fecal stones, tumors, and worms. Unhealthy eating at home, quick snacks on the run and low-quality restaurant food are the number one factor for the formation of obstructions in the intestines. It is believed that most of the impassable “garbage” is collected due to the consumption of fast food, seeds (especially if eaten with the skin) and refined, fried and smoked foods.
How can such blockades cause appendicitis? Everything is clear here - fluid and mucus cannot function correctly if the duct is partially or completely blocked. Severe inflammation occurs. Various bacteria can come from feces, which make the situation worse, as putrefactive processes can develop.
Young children require special attention. They often try to swallow small parts, coins, fruit seeds, etc. at home or on the street. If the object is not immediately removed from the digestive tract and it remains there for too long, then this can become a mechanical cause of appendicitis and other complications.
Appendicitis can be caused by an infection in the intestines. The inflammatory process followed by suppuration can provoke long-term exposure:
- nonspecific flora: streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli;
- specific flora: tuberculosis, typhoid fever, dysentery, yersiniosis, and helminthic infestation.
It is worth closely monitoring your health and responding to all symptoms of any infections. It is recommended to undergo regular preventative check-ups with a doctor in order to be able to detect infections that are asymptomatic. This will help find the disease at a very early stage and quickly identify it.
- Immune cause.
Weak immunity can cause inflammation in the appendix of the cecum. The fact is that the lymphoid tissue of the appendix joins the fight against inflammation and takes part of the blow. If the disease is severe or a person is affected by several ailments at once, then the lymphoid cells cannot cope with the load and provoke inflammation of their “native” organ – the appendix. Most often, this type of appendicitis occurs in:
- Children whose immunity has not yet fully developed.
- People with diseases of the immune system.
- People who are in prolonged depression.
If a person is constantly sick and all illnesses take a very long time and are difficult, then this is a good reason to test his defenses. In such a situation, you need to pay attention to abdominal pain - this could be a sign of another severe cold or talk about the onset of acute appendicitis.
If you discover signs of rapidly progressing appendicitis in yourself, your children or other loved ones, you must first call emergency help. Doctors have sufficient experience to determine what kind of help a sick person needs. You cannot treat appendicitis on your own at home.
https://youtu.be/25yQRjkzFig
What causes inflammation of the appendix?
The most common causes of the disease are mechanical blockages, that is, foreign bodies that for some reason enter the human body. After congestion of the colon, microbes begin to develop, causing acute inflammation.
Nutrition
Excessive consumption of fatty, smoked and other unhealthy foods increases the risk of appendicitis. It’s hard to believe, but there are people who are prone to provoking the disease, that is, they are interested in the question of how to cause appendicitis in order to avoid more serious complications in the future, for example, peritonitis. Although many often have to work for a long time in remote areas, where there are not even paramedic stations nearby. Since appendicitis requires only surgical intervention, the inflammatory process of the abdominal cavity far from civilization can be fatal. The disease develops rapidly, is accompanied by severe pain, and sometimes, in order to remove a person’s appendix, they simply do not have time to take him to the nearest hospital.
A lack of fiber from food can contribute to the development of the disease more often than with a balanced diet. It has been noticed that plant foods do not provoke appendicitis, but, on the contrary, contribute to the fact that the rudimentary organ does not become inflamed throughout life. The disease is often provoked by food that easily gets stuck in the internal organs and is not digested by the stomach, so many are interested in whether seeds can cause acute appendicitis. In order to cause intestinal inflammation, you need to eat a considerable amount of them with dirty peels. Many people enjoy healthy treats throughout their lives without getting sick. Inflammation of the appendix can begin not only with a large number of unpeeled seeds eaten, but also with the ingestion of pomegranate, watermelon or apple seeds.
Other causes of appendicitis
The attack is also provoked by factors, the origin of which is not always clear even to doctors, but observations show a certain category of patients whose disease occurs as a result of:
- chronic sore throat;
- pneumonia and other chronic colds;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- advanced dental caries.
The result is the penetration of various bacteria into the bloodstream, which contributes to inflammation of the colon and the development of appendicitis. It is important for any person to regularly visit doctors, not only when illnesses become acute; annual preventive examinations play an important role in order to identify pathologies in the early stages of development.
Development of the disease
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix of the cecum. Depending on their nature, they can be classified as either acute or chronic. The only treatment option is removal of the organ.
In gastroenterology, 70% of surgical interventions are appendectomy. According to medical sources, 10% of the world's population has undergone this operation, and men and women suffer equally often. In connection with the above, doctors believe that anyone can get this pathology.
The first sign of the inflammatory process is an attack of pain, which appears against the background of complete health. It progresses within 1 day, but is difficult to differentiate from other anomalies. Separation requires professional medical knowledge, skills and modern hardware diagnostic methods.
Since it is extremely difficult to diagnose inflammation at home, any acute pain in the navel area that becomes stronger with movement is a reason to go to the hospital. You should not pretend and convince others of appendicitis for the sake of fun or to get a sick leave, this is a dangerous disease, and it is not to be trifled with.
Research in this area has not identified a specific pathogen.
There are two components that determine the development of pathology: the action of pathogens and stress factors.
When these two elements interact, they can provoke inflammation and cause appendicitis.
- Pathogenic flora. The causative agent is the microflora of the intestine itself, constantly present in the body, which, under the influence of external influences, quickly becomes pathogenic: enterococci; Klebsiella, staphylococcus, streptococcus.
- Triggers. Pathology is provoked by various stressors, each of which can be classified into several groups, reflecting the theories of its formation: mechanical, infectious, vascular, immunological and endocrine.
The vermiform appendix appears by the third month of embryonic growth. This is an unpaired organ in the form of a tube measuring 12 centimeters, having a tissue structure similar to the cecum.
For a long time, the appendix was considered a rudiment that did not participate in the digestive system, so some doctors proposed solving the problem of morbidity by removing a healthy organ, without waiting for the disease to develop. In the wake of these ideas, removal operations for children were carried out en masse in Germany. As a result, the child developed a serious form of immunodeficiency.
Now the vermiform appendix is considered as an element of the human body’s immune defense, which produces amylase and functions to improve intestinal microflora.
Since no specific pathogen has been identified, several groups of external factors that determine its development are considered.
This disease cannot be treated at home. Rapid surgical removal of the appendage is required. The result of inaction in acute appendicitis is death. It sounds scary, but we don't want to scare you. Our goal is to alert you so you can quickly take appropriate action when signs of appendicitis occur. In this article we will talk about:
- what can quickly cause appendicitis (including whether there is a danger of developing the disease at home);
- Is it possible to protect yourself from inflammation of the appendix? Are there any rules for preventing this disease?
Acute appendicitis can cause inflammation and infection in the appendix of the cecum. This process is located in the right iliac part of the peritoneum (which is why during an exacerbation the patient feels the most severe pain in this area of the abdomen). The process follows the following scheme:
- Inflammation begins in the tissues of the appendix. Inflammation occurs suddenly - while relaxing at home or on the street.
- The appendix stops receiving blood and nutrients.
- The process begins to quickly die, its walls become fragile.
- The inflammation continues to spread. Pus begins to form, which can cause complications.
- During an exacerbation, inflammation quickly spreads to parts of the intestine adjacent to the appendix and other organs.
- When an abscess ruptures, pus enters the abdominal cavity.
Inflammation, impaired blood supply and suppuration are a process, not a cause. But what can cause these abnormalities to occur in the appendix? There are vascular, immune, mechanical and infectious causes of appendicitis. Moreover, if the disease itself proceeds very quickly, in just one day, then negative factors affect the appendix for a long time until they cause an exacerbation.
Is it possible to remove a healthy appendix?
Scientific thought is rapidly developing, and if previously most scientists believed that organs that do not perform an essential function for the body can be easily removed in infancy, now opinions are divided. Doctors have discovered that there are lymphatic follicles on the walls of the appendix; they can protect the intestines not only from infection, but also protect against cancer. Another essential function of the appendix is to maintain the immune system of the whole body, so its preservation plays an important role. The best prevention for preventing appendicitis is a healthy diet and timely detection of various diseases.
Drinking regime
Preventive measures include drinking a lot of purified water without gas.
In the prevention of appendicitis, it is important to maintain the correct drinking regime. The main recommendations for drinking regime include:
Drink plenty of purified water without gas | Helps cleanse and rejuvenate the body. Water is also an excellent tool for cleansing the intestines. |
Systematically use decoctions and infusions of herbs | Herbs with antiseptic characteristics and traditional herbs for the stomach and liver have a beneficial effect on the prevention of appendicitis. Carrying out such systematic courses cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and strengthens the human immune system. |
Including juices in your diet | The most effective for preventing appendicitis are freshly squeezed juices from vegetables (carrots, beets), which should be drunk immediately after preparation. |
When is surgery necessary?
Acute appendicitis is usually treated surgically. Antibiotic therapy can precede surgery - it helps to neutralize pathogenic microflora and prevent infection of the gastrointestinal tract during appendix removal.
Also, treatment with antimicrobial drugs is prescribed if the patient has any contraindications to surgery.
Appendectomy is an operation to remove the appendix and can be performed in two ways:
- Traditionally, the appendix is excised and removed through an incision in the lower abdomen.
- Laparoscopic, which is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Read more about laparoscopic appendectomy →
The patient should not eat for half a day after the operation. He must remain in a hospital under the close supervision of medical staff. It is important to maintain bed rest and avoid sudden movements.
After removal of the appendix, the patient is prescribed a second course of antibiotic therapy. It is necessary for the prevention of postoperative complications.
The recovery period after surgery to remove the appendix depends on the stage of development of the inflammatory process at which it was performed. But, as a rule, rehabilitation takes no longer than 14 days. Although, to eliminate the risk of seams coming apart, intense physical activity should be avoided for 1-2 months.
Author: Elizaveta Krizhanovskaya, doctor, especially for Moizhivot.ru
Esoterics: how it can help in matters of prevention
There are also people potentially suffering from appendicitis who believe that the best means of prevention is a special conspiracy. It is based on a kind of prayer and the use of ordinary water during its recitation.
You can find references in the sources that you should take 12 sips of water and say a spell during this time, and this will definitely protect you from problems with the right hypochondrium.
However, it is worth understanding that official medicine does not believe in such a remedy as a conspiracy. And he claims that it may well be deadly. For example, when the situation is already critical, and the patient uses a conspiracy instead of taking pills.
A conspiracy can only be used when nothing has yet been broken anywhere, and then, rather, with the goal of gaining peace of mind, if you believe in such things. Therefore, it is worth clearly understanding when you can use a conspiracy as a preventative measure, and at what moments you should immediately consult a doctor.