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Appendicitis occurs when the appendix, a smal tube of tissue attached to the colon, is inflamed.
Symptoms
A pain in the abdomen (stomach), which develops quickly and then worsens
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Cramp-like pain
Constipation
High temperature
Diarrhoea
Causes:
It is usually the result of infection, possibly of the stomach, or an obstruction, usually a hard piece of stool (faeces) that gets trapped in your appendix, and the bacteria in the stool then infects the appendix. Once bacteria enter your appendix, they rapidly multiply, causing the appendix to swell and become filled with pus.
Treatment
Mild cases can be treated with antibiotics but in the majority of cases the appendix will have to be surgically removed in a procedure known as an appendectomy, performed through open surgery or keyhole surgery.
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