How to determine the inflammation of the appendix at home. We identify appendicitis on our own: diagnostic methods

Appendicitis is often confused with a variety of disorders in the abdomen. It is important to know how to identify appendicitis at home and start treating it right away.

Every year, acute appendicitis threatens the health of about a million people in Russia. Ordinary abdominal pain can hide behind serious consequences for human health. Mortality from appendicitis is in the range of 0.2-0.3%. The figure is not high, but it is 3 thousand human lives a year, which doctors cannot help. That's why it's important to be clear about how appendicitis behaves.

What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed. This is an outgrowth of the caecum that once performed digestive function, but in the process of evolution ceased to participate in the processes of digestion. Now the appendix performs several secondary functions:

Thanks to a large number lymphoid formations appendix performs protective function organism.
The secretory function is to produce amylase and lipase - enzymes.
Hormones that are produced by the appendix function in the intestines. Hence the name of the function - hormonal.

When the appendix fills with pus and becomes inflamed, it is removed. surgically. The process should be urgent, because there is a risk of pus entering the body. Each of us can endure appendicitis, but it does not occur for no reason. The appearance of the disease can lead to:

excesses of the appendix or its too mobile nature;
blockage of the appendix with feces, if the patient suffers from constipation, or undigested food (grains, etc.);
infections of the digestive organs;
intestinal inflammation;
injuries in the abdomen.

Appendicitis does not begin immediately: at first, the appendix swells and begins to fill with purulent masses. If you do not resort to the help of surgeons, you can bring yourself to a critical state. The appendix may rupture and pus will fill the abdominal cavity.

How do you know if you have appendicitis?

Often even physicians initial examination confuse appendicitis with other diseases. But its symptoms are still different, and appendicitis can be diagnosed independently:

The main thing is abdominal pain. Pain begins in the upper half of the abdomen and gradually goes to the lower, shifting to the right.
When you touch the abdomen, the pain increases significantly.
You can feel the spontaneous tension of the abdominal muscles.
I want to draw my legs up to my stomach, most often a person finds this position less painful.
Nausea, vomiting appears.
Stool changes structure: diarrhea or constipation.
Sometimes there is an increase in body temperature against the background of inflammation.

If the examination is carried out independently in children or the elderly, it is important to understand that their organisms have their own characteristics. For example, a child cannot clearly answer the question of where it hurts, he becomes lethargic, refuses to eat. On the background common symptoms this condition will tell you how to recognize appendicitis. In older people, the symptoms of the disease are not so acute, so many people turn to doctors late.

Only a doctor can help you get a diagnosis. Independently, based on an examination of a sick home, it is impossible to accurately diagnose any disease. A home examination by a non-professional in the field of medicine can give false data. Therefore, when the stomach hurts a lot, appendicitis may not always appear. In case of severe pain, you need to urgently call ambulance.

If you call an ambulance, do not give your child any medicine, food or drink. These actions can change symptoms and make an accurate diagnosis much more difficult.
In no case should you heat the affected area! You can only apply cold to the stomach. If you heat the appendix, you can accelerate its rupture.
Calling a doctor is also necessary if severe pain has subsided. Appendicitis does not always hurt constantly, the stage of the disease can become more severe with a decrease pain.

Diagnosis and treatment

The most common manifestation of appendicitis is acute form, so patients immediately go to see a surgeon. However, when examined by a gastroenterologist, it is possible to avoid dangerous consequences and identify the disease before exacerbation.

Appendicitis is diagnosed almost immediately after examining the patient. Women should definitely visit a gynecologist. Appendicitis and female genital organs are located close, and the symptoms of their diseases are very similar.

How to check the correct diagnosis? The patient is prescribed an urgent ultrasound and x-ray. It is necessary to determine the picture of the processes occurring in abdominal cavity. It may be that appendicitis cannot be accurately determined, although the signs resemble the disease. Then the patient remains in the hospital for the doctors to observe his condition. The operation is delayed for up to 24 hours.

The laparoscopy method is effective in the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis. Unfortunately, not every clinic has such equipment. For diagnostics by the laparoscopic method, an incision is made on the abdomen (up to 1 cm), a tube is inserted there, which is equipped with a camera. If laparoscopy confirms the diagnosis, then it can be used to remove the process.

Diagnosis of appendicitis at home can be self-diagnosed, but its treatment is never done in other ways than surgery. The only choice that is given to the patient in the treatment of the disease is which anesthesia to use: local or general.

Treatment of appendicitis is carried out by two methods:

Traditional appendectomy. The operation is simple: the process is removed through an incision in the abdomen.
Laparoscopy - endoscopic surgery, is rarely done. If the diagnosis was carried out in this way, then the treatment will be carried out by him. Using this method reduces blood loss, the risk of complications after such an operation is significantly reduced.

Successful treatment of appendicitis depends on the timeliness of contacting a doctor.

Appendicitis does not tolerate slowness.

Thanks to prompt diagnostics acute appendicitis It is possible to detect the disease in time and start its treatment. This pathology is dangerous serious complications Therefore, it is so important to carry out surgical intervention as early as possible. To detect the disease in a timely manner, you need to know how to determine appendicitis at home.

Symptoms

To diagnose a pathology early stage development and distinguish it from other problems in the work digestive system, you need to pay attention to the symptoms of appendicitis:

Pain in the abdomen. With the development of appendicitis, pain is first felt in the navel, after which it gradually moves to the right lower region belly. Discomfort appears suddenly and is vague. Usually there are dull aching pains that do not allow deep breath. In addition, they increase significantly when coughing or laughing.
Forced posture. With the development of appendicitis, a person cannot straighten up or move normally - the reason for this is pain in the abdomen. Another sign of inflammation is the forced posture of an adult or a child - the patient lies on his side and raises his legs.
Nausea and vomiting. With the development of appendicitis, abdominal pain is almost always accompanied by nausea. There may also be debilitating vomiting that does not bring relief. Sometimes it happens once, but in most cases this condition lasts quite a long time. It should be borne in mind that in a child or adolescent, vomiting is frequent, while in adults this symptom can occur literally 1-2 times. In old age similar symptoms no.
Increase in body temperature. Usually this figure is 37.5-38 degrees, but in a child it can rise up to 40 degrees. If the temperature increases significantly in an adult, this indicates the progression of inflammation.
Chair disorder. In most cases, this symptom is not present. But if the appendix in an adult or child is located abnormally, constipation may occur. In rare cases, diarrhea may also develop. It should be borne in mind that in case of poisoning liquid stool brings a person temporary relief, while with appendicitis the condition remains the same - abdominal pain does not disappear after defecation.
Dryness in oral cavity. If abdominal pain is accompanied by this symptom, we can talk about the development of appendicitis.

Sometimes inflammation of the appendix causes frequent and painful urination. Symptoms such as pain in the genitals and lower back may also appear. The child may develop a runny nose and cough, which makes it difficult to diagnose appendicitis in time.

Methods for self-determination of appendicitis

How to recognize appendicitis? To independently check if you have inflammation in the appendix, you can do the following:

Lie down on a flat surface - bed or floor. Place your arms along the body, legs slightly apart, then bend at the knees. In this case, the second person should fingers right hand lightly press on the area in the lower right corner of the abdomen, and then sharply remove the hand. If pain occurs at this point, you need to see a doctor. With appendicitis, the groin, navel, or left side also often hurts.
Lie on the floor, place your arms along the body, and straighten your legs. Raise first right leg at 50-60 degrees. At this moment, the second person should remove quite strongly with the edge of the hand on the heel. Similar actions must be done with the left leg. Pain in the right side of the abdomen characteristic symptoms appendicitis.
To understand if a child’s stomach hurts, it’s worth looking for specific symptoms. If the baby sharply squats and cries a lot, this indicates the development of inflammation.
To self-diagnose appendicitis, you can try to cough. Echoes of pain will occur in the right corner of the abdomen.
If appendicitis is suspected, the person should be asked to walk. With inflammation of the process, the stomach hurts while walking. If each step is accompanied by discomfort, we can talk about the development of appendicitis.
It is worth gently palpating the abdomen. tension abdominal wall help identify appendicitis.

The listed symptoms in an adult or a child should be a signal to see a doctor, since there is a risk of rupture of the appendix or chronic inflammation.

What not to do if you suspect appendicitis?

In such situations, it is strictly prohibited:

Take laxatives or painkillers. Such actions will prevent the doctor from diagnosing inflammation of the process in a timely manner.
Take drugs for the intestines or stomach. They can cause intense chemical reaction, which will lead to rupture of the appendix.
Eat before consulting a doctor. With inflammation of the appendix, emergency surgery may be required, and before it is carried out, food must be refused. In addition, food can provoke irritation of the intestines, which will lead to a multiple increase in pain.
Apply a heating pad or warm compress to your abdomen. Thermal exposure will cause an acceleration of the inflammatory process.

If your stomach hurts and your temperature rises, in no case should you hesitate. AT similar situation an ambulance should be called.

Diseases with similar symptoms

To find out inflammation of the appendix, additional examinations are often required. This is explained by primary symptoms diseases resemble signs of other pathologies. These include:

pyelonephritis;
Crohn's disease;
inflammation of the uterus, tubes or ovaries;
renal colic;
peptic ulcer;
colitis and enterocolitis;
inflammation of the testicle;
inflammation of the nodes of the small intestine;
rupture or stretching of the anterior abdominal muscles.

Diagnostics

To identify inflammation of the appendix, it is imperative to analyze the symptoms and conduct additional studies:

Urine and blood tests. With inflammation of the appendix, the urine test remains normal, and this makes it possible to exclude kidney pathologies. Through a blood test, it will be possible to identify the inflammatory process, but it will not be possible to establish the exact localization.
Abdominal ultrasound. This is the fastest and most reliable method for diagnosing appendicitis.
CT scan. This study is prescribed when there is doubt about the correctness of the diagnosis.

Now you know how to determine appendicitis at home in an adult and a child. This is very important for timely surgical intervention. Therefore, the very first symptoms of the disease should make a person call an ambulance - the slightest delay can provoke dangerous complications.

Women are more likely to experience appendicitis than men. signs gynecological diseases similar to the symptoms of appendicitis in women, it is important for everyone to know how to determine the source of pain at home. Diagnosis can be difficult due to the proximity of the reproductive organs to the appendix.

The incidence of appendicitis in women

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. The appendix is a small, worm-shaped appendix of the caecum. The disease is eliminated by surgical intervention.

In women, appendicitis often develops between the ages of 20 and 40. One of the triggers is pregnancy. As a result of the growth of the fetus, the organs are displaced. It causes inflammation appendix.

Causes of the disease

Appendicitis can occur at absolutely any age. But more often it is faced by young women. The causes of the disease are as follows:

violation of the blood flow of the process or its displacement;
inflammatory process in adjacent organs;
intestinal infection;
an excess of serotonin;
blockage of the organ with small objects (seeds, bones, etc.);
clogging of the lumen with feces.

In women, appendicitis often occurs with gynecological diseases. One of the most common causes of the disease is the inflammatory process in the pelvic organs. No less influence on the condition of the appendix has a diet, lifestyle and the presence of stress. The development of the disease occurs in stages:

The initial stage of inflammation is called catarrhal.
The next stage is characterized by the formation of purulent ulcers.
The phlegmonous stage is characterized by an increase in the appendix and its filling with pus.
On the last stage rupture of the appendix.

How to identify signs

The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain. It intensifies during laughter or movement. In some cases discomfort given to the right leg. At the initial stages, it is difficult to understand the symptoms of appendicitis in women, how to determine their manifestation at home, you need to learn in advance. Inflammation develops rapidly, so it is important to consult a doctor in time. There are some signs that you should pay attention to. On the initial stage the pain is aching. It is able to radiate to any area of the peritoneum. It can easily be mistaken for signs of cholecystitis, gastritis or gynecological diseases. A little bit later clinical picture becomes more pronounced.

External

To outward signs appendicitis include subfebrile temperature. It is characterized by fluctuations in body temperature in the range from 37.1 to 38 degrees. Deterioration of well-being is accompanied by vomiting, which does not bring significant relief. In pregnant women, there is a petrification of the abdomen and shortness of breath. Skin become pale, the tongue is covered with a yellowish coating.

Internal

At inflammatory process appendix may lose appetite. Difficulties with urination and stool disturbance are possible. The most common is diarrhea. Clinical symptoms depend on the location of the branch. When he is behind the caecum, the pain is muffled. Localization of the appendix in the pelvis leads to atypical pain.

Internal signs of appendicitis are determined by palpation. The right iliac region and the umbilical ring are examined. With slight palpation, the tone of the anterior wall of the peritoneum increases. At deep breath there is an increase in pain.

Pain localization

When alarms it is necessary to pay attention to the local location of painful sensations. The appendix is in right side, therefore, the greatest concentration of sensations is noted precisely there. Pain is noted in the area from the navel to the lower abdomen, where the ovaries are located in women.

A few hours after the onset of the first symptoms, unpleasant sensations capture other organs. There is discomfort in the epigastric region, develops It's a dull pain in the lower back, increased discomfort when walking.

Features of the flow

The danger of appendicitis lies in the possibility fatality. In the absence of timely assistance, peritonitis develops. The inflammatory process can be sluggish. In this case, the pain is not very pronounced, but the following symptoms periodically appear:

vomit;
pain during bowel movements;
discomfort during sexual intercourse;
decrease in working capacity;
discomfort in the abdomen after eating, during laughter or hiccups.

Diagnosis at home

The final diagnosis is made by specialists. You don't need to take any action on your own. If appendicitis is suspected, do not drink water and exercise active movements. This will prevent premature rupture of the appendix. It is advisable to wait for an ambulance by taking horizontal position. At temperatures below 38 degrees, the use of antipyretic drugs is not required.

You can distinguish appendicitis from other diseases at home. The main thing is to do all the manipulations carefully. Initially, the symptoms of appendicitis in women are evaluated, how to determine the focus of pain at home is no less important. You need to press your fingers into a place on two fingers to the right of the navel and sharply release them. The pain at this point will be more intense.

In the hospital

After being admitted to the hospital, diagnostic study. It includes the following steps:

examination by a surgeon;
visit to the gynecologist;
blood donation;
Ultrasound monitoring.

The gynecologist conducts an examination for the presence of gynecological diseases. If they are not there, the woman is referred to a surgeon. He will palpate the abdomen and ask questions about the stool and the last meal. Donating blood helps to determine the level of leukocytes and ESR. An increase in indicators indicates an inflammatory process. Ultrasound procedure prescribed in the event that doctors have doubts about the diagnosis.

Who prescribes the operation?

Decision to conduct surgical operation to eliminate appendicitis is taken by the surgeon. He analyzes the condition of the woman, studies the tests and the conclusion of the gynecologist. Based on these data, the type of surgical intervention is selected.

Appendectomy

The operation to remove appendicitis is performed by classical appendectomy or by laparoscopy. Appendectomy is a classic abdominal operation. Laparoscopy is an operation that does not require abdominal incisions on the skin. It is less traumatic, but has a number of significant contraindications. Classical appendectomy is performed much more frequently.

Before the operation is general anesthesia. Then access to the affected organ is provided. In the case of laparoscopy, small punctures are made on the skin. The process is completely removed, after which the abdominal cavity is drained. The final step involves suturing the puncture or incision sites.

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Postoperative period

After the operation, the doctor prescribes antibiotic therapy. Medicines and the scheme of their reception are selected individually. If there is a predisposition to thromboembolism, anticoagulants are prescribed.

In each person, intraperitoneally, that is, surrounded on all sides by the peritoneum, there is a caecum, from which the appendix extends - the appendix, in the people -. Its length is 2-15 cm.
Regardless of gender and age, it can become inflamed. Inflammation of the appendix is considered the most common disease of the abdominal cavity, requiring an operable treatment called "appendectomy". Otherwise, the outcome will be fatal. In order to timely diagnose and decide on treatment, you need to know how to determine the disease.

How to check if you have appendicitis?

The very first sign is pain syndrome lower abdomen on the right. At first, it seems to spread throughout the abdomen, but after a while it is localized in the iliac region. To check for appendicitis, you need to press on the abdomen on the lower right, the muscles tense up, and the pain manifests itself sharply. These sensations can be confused with gynecological inflammation or renal colic.

Also, to check for appendicitis, you should pay attention to the following symptoms:

Soft abdomen when pressed in inguinal region tense. When releasing the fingers, the pain seems to follow them;
Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
or diarrhea. After going to the toilet, there is no relief;
Temperature increase up to 38-39*С;
Thirst. Dryness is felt in the mouth, a white coating is visible on the tongue;
A person, in order to reduce pain, lies down in the “embryo” position, but pain do not decrease;
Sneezing or coughing increases the discomfort.

Possible development of the situation with the appendix

Sometimes appendicitis does not appear abruptly, but gradually. A person suffers for a day or two from discomfort and pain, not knowing that suppuration has already begun inside. If you suspect you have appendicitis, call an ambulance immediately! In any case, he definitely knows better how to check for appendicitis. Before she arrives, do the following:

Lying on your right side, put an ice pack (a cold jar from the fridge, a piece of frozen meat from the freezer) over the pain site. It is strictly forbidden to apply warm! Heat accelerates the process of inflammation and infection;
Do not take any medication, as this may interfere with the diagnosis and testing of appendicitis;
Do not give enemas and do not drink laxatives - the walls of the appendix may burst;
Drinking water and food is prohibited!

Methods of examination for appendicitis in the hospital

Having brought the patient to the emergency room, he will not be sent to the operating room without emergency indications, because. the diagnosis may or may not be confirmed.

Appendicitis occurs through inflammation of the appendix of the caecum.

Symptoms of appendicitis are easily confused with manifestations of other ailments. Among them are poisoning, indigestion or renal colic.

Therefore, in order to start treatment in a timely manner and avoid dangerous complications diseases, you need to know how to determine appendicitis at home.

Its peculiarity is that it can strike any person, regardless of age, gender and social class.

The appendix performs the function of protecting the body from various infections, raising immune system intestines. But he does not belong to the vital important bodies person and with any inflammation it is removed.

The causes of the disease can be completely different for each person. Sometimes appendicitis does not become inflamed in an ulcer sufferer, while it can appear in a completely healthy person.

Long-term studies have made it possible to establish three clear reasons:

All processes in the body are interconnected, so the provoking factors can be very diverse. They can cause inflammation of the appendix up to the chronic form.

This stage of the disease is quite difficult to diagnose. Most often it manifests itself in an acute form.

In order to diagnose the pathology on time and distinguish it from other problems in the digestive system, you need to understand how to determine appendicitis yourself. For this, it is important to know the symptoms of inflammation of the appendix of the caecum.

The following belong to them:

How to recognize the first signs of appendicitis

Appendicitis is very insidious - symptoms on initial stage similar to other diseases. Men are much more likely than women to start the developmental stage of the disease.

Even the smallest signs should not be ignored. The rapid development of the disease can lead to irreversible consequences.

The manifestation of this pathology in men and women is generally the same. A feature of the diagnosis of appendicitis in male body are symptoms associated with male physiology.

For a long period, experts have been looking for the most accurate way to reliably diagnose appendicitis. Many studies have been devoted to the impact of acute appendicitis on the behavior of the male genital organs.

The main ones that are actively used are:

Horn sign- if you pull the base of the scrotum, there are painful sensations in the right testicle.
Symptom Laroka- palpation of the anterior wall of the abdominal cavity leads to a feeling of pulling up the right testicle, or it is pulled up spontaneously.
Britten's symptom- palpation of the abdomen on the right from below leads to a decrease in the volume of the right testicle.

When self-diagnosing, it is important to consider that by probing the stomach, there is a threat to damage the appendix. Therefore, it is better and safer if such symptoms are determined by a doctor.

In a woman who is carrying a baby, it is very difficult to determine the inflammation of the appendix. The similarity of some of the symptoms is misleading.

Pregnant women may experience subfebrile temperature, and with toxicosis, nausea and vomiting are often observed. In addition, both during childbearing and appendicitis, abdominal pain can occur.

Therefore, during such a period, it is very important for a woman to listen to the symptoms and conduct regular examinations. In case of any doubt, contact medical institution so as not to aggravate the situation with serious complications.

Due to the increase in the uterus, pain can change the location. The uterus puts pressure on the inflamed process. At the same time, it rises and the pain is felt higher.

Appendicitis is very dangerous during pregnancy, there is big risk her interruptions. It all depends on the timely treatment, the professionalism of the doctors and the health of the patient.

It is equally difficult to independently identify inflammation of appendicitis in a small child..

Children poorly determine the location of the painful focus. Often it seems to them that the whole body hurts.

A feature of the disease at a young age is that the lymphoid tissue and the structure of the appendix are not fully developed. And the location of this organ may be under the liver.

The main symptoms of inflammation of the appendix in a child:

food failure, complete absence appetite
constant whims, a state of nervousness;
sleep disturbance;
lack of interest in events;
constant waking up with screams and complaints of abdominal pain;
constipation or discomfort during urination.

If the appendix is not typically located, pain may be disturbed not only in the navel, but also in the pubis, liver, groin or lower back.

It is safer for parents to play it safe and, if any suspicious symptoms appear, immediately consult a doctor. It is better to make a mistake than to risk the health and life of the baby.

Children over the age of 7 experience the same symptoms as adults. In addition, the child can explain and correctly point to the place of pain.

To save yourself from serious complications, it is important to know how to diagnose appendicitis yourself. To do this, you can do the following:

The above symptoms give the answer to the question of how to know that you have appendicitis. When they appear, you should immediately contact a specialist. There is a risk of rupture of the appendix or transition to a chronic form.

What to do if you suspect appendicitis:

Any sign of inflammation of the appendix is a reason to seek medical attention. medical assistance. At acute manifestation no need to think long about which doctor to go to. Appendicitis in this form is considered a surgical pathology.

If you delay a visit to the surgeon for a long time, then the organ will quickly develop purulent focus and, not removing the appendix in time, there is a risk of its rupture.

The collected pus will come out, which is quite dangerous and requires extensive surgical intervention. Therefore, you need to seek advice from a surgeon.

If there are changes in the body, pain in different areas of the abdomen, to find out the reasons, you should go for help to a local or other general practitioner.

In addition, you can contact admission department any public health facility. The duty doctor is obliged to examine the patient. If necessary, any specialist will send the patient to the surgeon for a consultation.

In women, the symptoms of appendicitis are very similar to ectopic pregnancy . If menstruation is delayed and painful sensations appear in the abdomen, you should go to the gynecologist and, if necessary, undergo an ultrasound scan.

This disease can also occur in pregnant women, which is very dangerous. Feeling any disturbing symptoms in the abdomen, a woman should immediately notify her district gynecologist.

When strong pain does not allow you to go to a medical facility on your own, then you need to call an ambulance.

Inflammation of the appendix is very dangerous disease . Knowing the main symptoms and diagnostic methods, you can determine the pathology yourself.

But home treatment is out of the question.. This can bring irreparable harm to the body, even death.

Even slightest manifestations should not be ignored. Especially if they occur in children. It is they who are characterized by rapid development.