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This is how you can recognize appendicitis

introduction

Appendicitis is a relatively common condition that affects children and young adults in particular. This often leads to a typical course with symptoms that may indicate the disease.

In some cases, however, the symptoms are very unspecific and the severity is different for each person. So you can tell from certain symptoms that appendicitis could be present. Whether this diagnosis is correct or whether another cause is more likely can ultimately only be clarified through a medical examination.

These symptoms can be used to identify appendicitis

There are a few symptoms that can indicate appendicitis. Particularly in the case of severe pain in the right lower abdomen, people who still have their appendix should think of appendicitis as a possible cause. Especially when the pain is so severe that the person concerned can only lie in a relieving position, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.

Another symptom that can occur with appendicitis is fever. The temperature measured in the anus is typically significantly higher than that measured under the armpit or in the mouth. If diarrhea is the symptom, gastrointestinal flu is the most likely cause, although appendicitis cannot be safely ruled out.

In some patient groups, such as the elderly or children, the symptoms are often appendicitis not as typical or less pronounced. It can therefore be difficult and take a long time to diagnose the condition.

More information can be found here: Symptoms of appendicitis

Appendicitis can be recognized by this pain

In the case of appendicitis, there is often a typical course with pain, which can change in character and vary in location. At a incipient appendicitis the symptoms are usually most likely reported in the area of the right upper abdomen or around the navel. At the beginning, the pain often has a rather dull character and cannot be clearly localized.

If there is one Increase in the inflammatory response comes, the pain picture often changes. The pain maximum is then usually indicated in the right lower abdomen and the location of the pain can often be shown by the person concerned as a precise point on the abdomen. The character of the pain is then often stated as piercing and light.

The course described here is typical of appendicitis and, in this form, often allows a clinical diagnosis by the doctor, provided the physical examination confirms the finding. However, not every person with appendicitis experiences this typical pattern of pain. In some cases the sharp stabbing pain in the right lower abdomen occurs at the beginning. In other cases the symptoms remain rather diffuse despite appendicitis and cannot be clearly described. If in doubt, a medical examination is therefore always recommended.

Read also: Appendix pain

This is how you can tell if a child has appendicitis

Appendicitis is particularly common in children frequently on. There are not always clear symptoms and it can be difficult to recognize the disease. The focus is usually on pain and sensitivity to touch in the child's right lower abdomen. With the onset of the disease, the pain can also be felt higher or around the navel.

Often the parents notice that the child is less active and may refuse to eat. Because of the pain, jumping around and even walking is no longer possible. Nausea and vomiting can also occur. Some children with appendicitis also develop a fever. However, even in connection with abdominal pain, this is not yet proof of the disease and, on the other hand, this cannot be ruled out even at normal body temperature.

In addition, the symptoms of appendicitis are often not clear but rather unspecific. Therefore, if the child has stomach pain for several hours or behaves abnormally, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.

Read about it too: Signs of appendicitis

These tests can identify appendicitis

There are certain tests that can indicate appendicitis. These are also done during a medical exam if the doctor suspects that appendicitis may be present. However, none of these tests confirm the diagnosis, as they can also be positive for other reasons. On the other hand, appendicitis cannot be ruled out with certainty, even if all tests are negative.

Most tests involve applying hand pressure to a point on the abdomen with the patient lying on their back as relaxed as possible.

There is, for example, the Lanz point, which is located on an imaginary line between the upper two bony appendages of the iliac blades.
The McBurney point lies on a line between the right upper bony process of the iliac blade and the navel.
In the case of Blumberg's signs, the examiner presses in the area of the left lower abdomen for about a minute and then suddenly lets go. This test is positive and thus an indication of the presence of appendicitis if there is a painful stimulus when you let go.

More information can be found here: Tests to detect appendicitis

Detect appendicitis by hopping?

A test that is often done, especially in children, to check whether appendicitis may be present is to have the person hop on their right leg.
If the appendix is inflamed, the shock of jumping can trigger a painful stimulus. This is especially true if the affected part of the appendix, which is called the appendix, is located behind the actual appendix. When trying to jump, a lot of pressure is exerted in this position, which can lead to severe pain.
If a patient can hop on their right leg without problems, appendicitis cannot be ruled out, but it is at least very unlikely. Pain when jumping can have other causes besides appendicitis and should therefore be clarified.

Can you diagnose appendicitis with a blood test?

There is no blood test that can answer the question of whether you have appendicitis. There are some parameters that can be increased in such an inflammation, but these are non-specific and do not provide any information about the origin of the inflammation.
In addition, when appendicitis begins, the blood values are often still within the normal range. Whether this clinical picture is the most likely cause of abdominal discomfort can ultimately only be assessed through an examination by an experienced doctor. However, blood tests are usually helpful because they can support the diagnosis or, if necessary, rule out other possible clinical pictures.

You might also be interested in: Diagnosis and therapy of appendicitis

Can you detect appendicitis with ultrasound?

It is possible to visualize the appendix on ultrasound. However, due to the small size of the organ and its variable location, this does not always succeed. Often the appendix is also covered by air-filled intestinal loops and can then not be safely seen using ultrasound. If there is inflammation, typical patterns can appear on the appendix. However, these cannot be seen in every case.

It is therefore not possible to reliably demonstrate appendicitis or not by means of an ultrasound examination alone. It is merely a supplementary examination method that, in the event of uncertainty, can influence a possible decision for an operation or for waiting. Ultimately, the responsible physician must use clinical criteria to decide whether an operation is indicated. Ultimately, inflammation of the appendix can only be proven by surgical removal of the organ.

This is how you can recognize a ruptured appendix

It is not possible to determine a rupture of the appendix solely on the basis of the symptoms that have been experienced, but this serious and potentially life-threatening complication should be considered in the event of a certain course of the symptoms.
If appendicitis has been around for a few hours and the inflammation has progressed, the appendix wall may be under great tension. This leads to an enormous irritation of nerve tracts, which convey the most violent pain signals. If the appendicitis continues to worsen, the appendix wall (this is how the appendix can also be called) ruptures, which is known as a ruptured appendix.

This can usually be recognized by the fact that the severe pain suddenly subsides. This can be explained by the fact that the rupture reduces the tension in the appendix and therefore fewer pain signals are transmitted. However, the breakthrough creates a connection between the inside of the intestine and the free abdominal cavity. Feces and bacteria can enter there and cause peritonitis. After a few hours, symptoms such as increasing dull pain develop over the entire abdomen. In addition, the general condition of the person concerned deteriorates. A ruptured appendix must be treated surgically. The faster this is discovered and operated on, the better the prognosis.
If left untreated, a ruptured appendix can be fatal.

Learn more about the topic at: Ruptured appendix