Mild appendicitis may quickly become severe inflammation if not treated well. Let's learn more about the symptoms of appendicitis and how to treat inflammation in its mild stages.
Mild appendicitis may be treated without surgery to remove the appendix. Herein lies the benefit of detecting symptoms of appendicitis early before the condition develops and an urgent need for an emergency Appendectomy arises.
The sudden sharp pain in the right part of the lower abdomen is considered one of the most common signs of appendicitis. Although pain is the most common symptom of appendicitis, It may not appear until the late stages of the inflammation; so what are the other symptoms of mild appendicitis, and how to treat it?
Overview of Mild appendicitis
Mild appendicitis usually begins with mild symptoms that make its early diagnosis tricky. An appendicitis patient may think his abdomen pain is just a stomach ache caused by overeating.
Appendicitis is a common condition and is considered one of the important causes of abdominal pain that requires surgery for treatment, as about 5% of the world's population suffers from appendicitis, and most of the inflammation is seen in young people in their twenties. Still, it may affect everyone of all ages.
The appendix is a small organ shaped like a finger. The appendix connects with the colon on the lower and right abdomen. The appendix's function is still not completely understood. Doctors believe it makes a storehouse of beneficial bacteria for the body, as a person can normally live without the presence of the appendix.
Although mild appendicitis is treatable and the patient usually recovers entirely from it, the delay in its treatment may cause severe and life-threatening complications, so it is necessary to take note of the symptoms of appendicitis to detect it as early as possible.
What are the symptoms of Mild appendicitis?
Symptoms may vary from one patient to another, depending on the severity of appendicitis and the patient's age, sometimes the signs of appendicitis may be mixed with other digestive diseases that cause similar symptoms.
The severity of the symptoms gradually increases in appendicitis patients as the severity of the inflammation increase, the most important of which are the following:
- Sudden pain in the right side of the abdomen that gets worse when moving or coughing
- The pain becomes very severe with time
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor appetite for food
- Mild fever
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Abdominal bloating
- frequent urination
Causes of Mild appendicitis
The main cause of mild appendicitis is still not fully understood. Still, there is a belief that appendicitis occurs due to blockage of a part of the appendix tissue with an obstacle that leads to swelling and inflammation of the appendix.
The obstruction causing appendicitis may be a fecal collection in the appendix or a tumor mass leading to a block. In both cases, the block causes swelling and enlargement of the appendix, which may burst when treatment for appendicitis is delayed.
Certain factors may contribute to an individual's increased risk of mild appendicitis, including:
- Previous history of a family member with appendicitis
- Teens and young adults are more likely to develop appendicitis than the elderly
- Males are more susceptible to appendicitis than females
- Previous gastrointestinal infections
How to treat Mild appendicitis
In the case of mild appendicitis, the inflammation may heal without surgery when diagnosed and treated early. However, surgery to remove the appendix becomes necessary when appendicitis develops into severe stages.
Severe appendicitis may cause serious complications, so rapid management and treatment of appendicitis may protect the patient from the risks of an inflamed appendix; in addition, treatment is simple in mild stages of inflammation.
Mild appendicitis is managed by one of the following methods:
Treating appendicitis with antibiotics
Antibacterial drugs are the first treatment given to patients with appendicitis when they arrive at the hospital. These drugs are given intravenously and help fight bacteria to reduce the severity of inflammation and prevent the spread of germs to nearby organs in the abdomen.
In some cases of uncomplicated appendicitis, drug treatment may be sufficient to cure appendicitis. The appendicitis patient may improve, and his symptoms ease by using only antibiotics, and he does not need surgery to remove the appendix.
Some examples of mild appendicitis medications include:
- Ceftriaxone
- Cefotaxime
- Gentamicin
- Ampicillin
Appendectomy
The inflamed appendix is removed in most cases of appendicitis that do not improve with antibiotics. The surgery is performed either by open surgery or laparoscopy.
Laparoscopy is minimally invasive and less risky than open abdominal surgery. The recovery period after it is short as the patient can return to his daily activities more quickly.
The surgery is usually performed immediately without delay, for fear of the possibility of life-threatening rupture of the appendix; read more about Laparoscopic appendectomy.
Complications of Mild appendicitis
Appendicitis may lead to some complications when it is neglected. Among the most severe complications that appendicitis may cause is the rupture of the appendix, the spread of bacteria to neighboring areas, and causing what is known as peritonitis. This severe medical condition may cause death.
A collection of abscesses may also occur within the appendix, which requires drainage of the abscess before appendectomy.
In the end, uncomplicated appendicitis is a disease that is very common among the world population, especially among young people and children. It may present with simple symptoms that make its early detection somewhat tricky, quickly becoming severe inflammation requiring surgery. However, when the disease is diagnosed early, antibacterial drugs may replace surgery, which may be enough for complete recovery from inflammation.
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