The symptoms of appendicitis are diverse, and the main insidiousness of the disease is that its manifestations are often confused with a simple cold or other diseases. Sometimes appendicitis is similar to cholecystitis, in other cases it manifests itself as signs characteristic of inflammation of the appendages or even pregnancy with attachment of the fetal egg outside the uterus.
It hurts, oh how it hurts
The main symptom of appendicitis is pain, but this condition cannot be identified only by soreness. In addition, the condition can manifest itself as fever, nausea and vomiting, and a violation of the stool. However, all of these events are not required. Among older patients, they are most often not noticed. Appendicitis can be suspected by sudden and severe pain in the abdomen. With such a symptom, you should immediately contact the ambulance team, even if the pain is tolerable. By the way, the symptom may disappear after a while, but this is not a reason to calm down - such a phenomenon may indicate the transition of the form to a more severe one.
With the symptoms of appendicitis, do not try to relievepainkillers or antimicrobials. Indeed, the pain may subside, but the picture of the disease, the clinical symptoms will be blurred, which will complicate the formulation of an accurate diagnosis. Suspecting appendicitis, you will have to give up a hot bath or pain relief with a heating pad, as this can activate the inflammatory process and the spread of purulent discharge throughout the abdominal cavity. It is dangerous to use choleretic medicines, to put an enema. First aid to the patient at home - calling an ambulance and ensuring complete rest.
Status update
If you notice doubtful symptoms, you need to call a doctor. The patient will be taken to the clinic, where they will check the main vital signs of the body and identify laboratory symptoms of appendicitis, if the problem is in it. The doctor feels the diseased area, but this is unlikely to make an accurate diagnosis. To check the condition, they will first take blood and urine samples for examination, then they will be sent for an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity. The presence of an inflammatory focus is confirmed by an increased concentration of leukocytes.
To make sure that exactly the symptoms, signs of appendicitis, are observed, laparoscopy is prescribed. A small puncture is made in the abdominal wall, and an apparatus is inserted into the human body that transmits an image in real time via a cable to a monitor. So the doctor can determine exactly what is happening to the person, what are the causes of pain.
Forms and steps
Difficult to identifysymptoms of appendicitis at home, when the disease is just beginning to develop. The first half of the day lasts a catarrhal form. There is soreness and discomfort in the stomach area, but they are usually not strong enough to cause anxiety. Many confuse them with gastritis. Feelings become stronger in the evening, at night. Soreness is dull, considered by many to be insignificant. Possible vomiting, nausea. Doctors say that this phenomenon is due to human reflexes. In old age, vomiting in patients is almost always absent or very weakly expressed. This complicates the timely and accurate diagnosis.
It is possible to suspect the symptoms of appendicitis at home if the pain in the first half a day from the moment of occurrence migrates to the abdomen from the bottom right, if the appendix is located on the right (anatomical anomalies are possible, this must be taken into account). Gradually, the pain begins to pulsate and press, and the intensity increases. For some, the development of the condition is accompanied by loose stools and an increased urge to urinate.
Symptoms of appendicitis in adults and children in the early stages include fever above 37 degrees. Gradually, various signs of general poisoning appear, including weakness, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth. The pain intensifies, it becomes more and more difficult to bear it. The abdomen is soft, on palpation on the right it responds with pain. This stage is best suited for urgent surgery, but pathology is rarely identified, and people delay contacting a specialist.
Progress of disease
Howidentify the symptoms of appendicitis? In women, men, the disease, left unattended at the catalytic stage described above, over time manifests itself as an increasing discomfort. By the end of the first day, the pain is already clearly defined on the right in the lower abdomen, intense and pulsating. The patient constantly feels nausea. The heart rate is about 90 beats per minute. The temperature is close to 38 degrees. If you visually examine the patient, you can see that the right side of the abdomen, when inhaling and exhaling, lags behind the left.
Bottom right at this stage of appendicitis there is tension. This indicates the spread of the inflammatory focus to the peritoneum. The diagnostic symptoms of appendicitis in men and women at this stage are all positive, making it easy for the doctor to determine exactly what needs to be treated. As a rule, it is at this stage that the patient is referred for emergency surgery.
Second and third day
The third stage of the disease is gangrenous. Symptoms of appendicitis in women, men change again. At first, the pain subsides. This indicates the death of nerve cells localized near the focus of inflammation, due to which the sensitivity becomes less. But the general poisoning manifests itself brighter. Tachycardia is stronger, the patient vomits. The temperature drops first to normal, then to 36 degrees and even less.
Doctors know exactly how to identify the symptoms of appendicitis at this stage: no peristalsis, the abdomen is swollen, touching the body in the appendix area brings the patient severe pain.
Fourthstage
Symptoms of appendicitis in women, men who have reached the case before the transition to the perforated phase, include very severe pain. The pain is clearly defined on the right in the lower abdomen, it becomes stronger with time, there is no relief even for a short time, the pain is constant. The patient vomits many times, severe tachycardia worries. Even with a visual examination, you can see how tense the stomach is, swelling is noticeable. There is no peristalsis. The tongue is covered with a brownish coating, the body temperature rises to 40 degrees, sometimes even higher.
If you ignore the symptoms of appendicitis, in women, men, the phase of peritonitis or abscess begins.
Important to know
The times mentioned are average. In some cases, the disease can develop literally instantly, in others - the course is rather slow.
Not everything goes according to plan
Appendicitis can develop in the form described above - this is a typical scenario of the disease. There is a risk of atypical development when there are no clinical symptoms, although there are inflammatory processes in the body. There are several atypical forms, each of which has its own characteristics.
It is quite rare to observe symptoms of appendicitis in women, men, developing as an empyema. This term refers to the condition when the pain is immediately localized to the right in the lower abdomen, the condition worsens gradually, the pain is relatively weak. The poisoning of the body shows itself only by the fifth day of the development of the pathology, the patient is shivering, appearsfever, weak condition.
Sometimes the symptoms of appendicitis in women, men indicate a retrocecal form. On average, it is detected in every tenth patient. The primary symptoms of the disease are mild, the temperature rises to fairly high rates, the stool is semi-liquid, mucous discharge is possible. In some cases, the pain is localized in the lower back and radiates to the thigh on the right side.
Possible symptoms of appendicitis in women, developing according to the pelvic scenario. On average, it accounts for about 9-18% of all patients. The disease manifests itself as loose stools containing mucous secretions. There is irritation of the peritoneum, but rather weak. A slight rise in temperature is possible, but the general poisoning of the body is practically not felt.
Possible options: what else happens?
Possible subhepatic appendicitis. With this form of the disease, discomfort is localized under the ribs on the right.
During pregnancy, appendicitis often appears in the second half of the term. The condition is expressed by signs of moderate strength, soreness is closer to the right side of the body under the ribs. An assessment of the condition of the expectant mother begins with a temperature check. Fever is one of the first symptoms of appendicitis in women. How to determine at home in a particular case, the cause is inflammation of the appendix, or not, no one will say - you can clarify the condition only in the clinic. There may be mild symptoms associated with peritoneal irritation.
Sometimes signs, symptoms of appendicitis in women, men indicate a left-sided form. The picture as a whole is standard, but the pain is feltleft. This is possible if a person has a specific anatomy from birth - the organs are located in the reverse order. Left-sided appendicitis can develop with increased activity in the caecum.
Chronicle
The cases described above are acute appendicitis. In addition, the disease can develop as a chronic one. Symptoms of appendicitis in this case will include intermittent soreness, which becomes worse if you cough, walk, run. A relapse is possible, in which the manifestations are similar to the acute form. In the chronic, the temperature is normal or slightly above the standard indicators (about 37 degrees).
On average, chronic appendicitis is diagnosed in one patient out of a hundred. Clinical manifestations may be similar to pyelonephritis, ulcers, or cholecystitis. Sometimes appendicitis manifests itself as phenomena characteristic of gynecological or other pathologies of organs located in the abdominal cavity.
Special case: men get sick
Some manifestations of appendicitis, characteristic of men, are also characteristic of women, but there are also some distinctive features that are characteristic only of the stronger sex. As a rule, appendicitis can be suspected by a white coating covering the tongue, soreness and repeated vomiting, and an increase in temperature. The patient feels weak, the mouth dries, the rhythm of contraction of the heart muscle becomes more and more frequent. With appendicitis, appetite disappears, stool is disturbed, a person is constantly in a forced position, in which the pain is somewhat easier.
vomit,nausea comes after an attack of pain. Appetite at first weakens, gradually disappears altogether. At first, the tongue is wet, gradually dries, turns white. If the focus of inflammation is located near the intestinal loops, diarrhea is disturbing. With localization in the bladder area, the urge to urinate becomes more frequent.
Symptomatology varies, much depends on age, stage of the disease, presence of underlying diseases.
Features of pain
With appendicitis, pain is often felt in the iliac region, but this is characteristic of persons in whom the inflamed organ is located as standard. In the pelvic position, it hurts near the pubis, when located behind the rectum - in the lower back or lateral region of the abdomen. May hurt on the right under the ribs if the appendix is higher than the standard position. About seven hours from the moment of the first soreness is enough time to understand exactly where the pain is felt. The sensations are especially strong during careless movements. Sometimes they are provoked by coughing, laughing, talking. Relief comes from curling up into a fetal position.
A rather characteristic symptom of appendicitis in men is the pulling up of the testicle on the right. When pulling the scrotum, this area responds with pain. Pulling up occurs spontaneously, is not controlled. With light sipping, the area hurts. Possible soreness of the anus, frequent urge to defecate. The pain may get worse if you try to raise your right arm or leg.
Children get sick: features
The acute form of the disease can appear at any age. From medical statistics it is known that children from 5 to 14 years old are more often ill. On average, among girls, the frequency of pathology in a widow is higher than among boys. Symptoms may differ from those described above due to structural features of the organ, insufficiently formed lymphoid tissue.
The basic symptom is abdominal pain, and it is possible in different areas - it depends on the position of the affected organ. The baby is worried, does not eat, does not sleep, cries. There is a fever, an increased heart rate, loose stools, or constipation. Perhaps bloating, sometimes problems with urination, up to dysuria. Usually the disease appears suddenly, the symptoms progress rapidly.
Some time ago, scientists conducted statistical studies, the results of which turned out to be quite clear: about 40% of patients with appendicitis were admitted to the clinic after eating seeds and chips the day before. The dependence was especially pronounced among children of 14 years of age and close to it.
Atypical and typical options
Sometimes with appendicitis in children, soreness is felt in the groin, reproductive organs, stomach or ureter. This greatly complicates the exact determination of the causes of pain. Often, children with appendicitis reflexively lie on their left side and pull their legs to their chest - with this position, the pain subsides. The child does not allow touching the stomach, cries and screams, cannot eat and sleep. As the child calms down, he takes a certain position and does not move.
The patient's face turns red, a white coating is visible on the tongue, fever and tachycardia are observed. In middle-aged children, the pulse and temperature do not correspond to each other; in medicine, this is called the scissors symptom. The patient vomits, but there is no relief.
