Appendix

Ileocecal junction (appendix appears in blue) The appendix (or vermiform appendix; also cecal [or caecal] appendix; vermix; or vermiform process) is a appendix, blind-ended tube connected to the cecum, from which it develops in the embryo.

The appendix is a pouch-like structure of the large intestine, located at the junction of the small and the large intestines.

The term " vermiform" comes from Latin and means "worm-shaped." The appendix used to be considered a vestigial organ, but this view has changed over the appendix decades. [ clarify] [1] Research suggests that the appendix may serve an important purpose. In particular, it may serve as a reservoir for beneficial gut bacteria. Abdominal appendix showing a normal appendix between the external iliac artery and the abdominal wall The human appendix averages 9 cm (3.5 in) in length but can range from 5 to 35 cm (2.0 to 13.8 in).

The diameter of the appendix is 6 mm (0.24 in), and more than 6 mm (0.24 in) is considered a thickened or inflamed appendix.

The longest appendix ever removed was 26 cm (10 in) long. [2] The appendix is usually located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, near the right hip bone. The base of the appendix appendix located 2 cm (0.79 in) beneath the ileocecal valve that separates the large intestine from the small intestine. Its position within the abdomen corresponds to a point on the surface known as McBurney's point.

The appendix is connected to the mesentery in the lower region of the ileum, by a short region of the mesocolon known as the mesoappendix. [3] Variation [ edit ] Some identical twins—known as mirror image twins—can have a mirror-imaged anatomy, a congenital condition with the appendix located in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen instead of the lower right. [4] [5] Intestinal malrotation may also cause displacement of the appendix to the left side. While the base of the appendix is typically located 2 cm (0.79 in) below the ileocecal valve, the tip of the appendix can be variably located—in the pelvis, outside the peritoneum or behind the cecum.

[6] The prevalence of the different positions varies amongst populations with the retrocecal position being most common in Appendix and Sudan, with 67.3% and 58.3% occurrence respectively, in comparison to Iran and Bosnia where the pelvic position is most common, with 55.8% and 57.7% occurrence respectively.

[7] [8] [9] [10] In very rare cases, the appendix may not be present at all ( laparotomies for suspected appendicitis have given a frequency of 1 in 100,000).

[11] Sometimes there is a semi-circular fold of mucous membrane at the opening of the appendix. This valve of the vermiform appendix is also called Gerlach's valve. [3] Functions [ edit ] Maintaining gut flora [ edit ] A possible function of the human appendix is a "safe house" for beneficial bacteria in the recovery from diarrhea Although it has been long accepted that the immune tissue surrounding the appendix and elsewhere in the gut—called gut-associated lymphoid tissue—carries out a number of important functions, explanations were lacking for the distinctive shape of the appendix appendix its apparent lack of specific importance and function as judged by an absence of side effects following its removal.

[12] Therefore, the notion that the appendix is only vestigial became widely held. William Parker, Randy Bollinger, and colleagues at Duke University proposed in 2007 appendix the appendix serves as a haven for useful bacteria when appendix flushes the bacteria from the rest of the intestines.

[13] [14] This proposition is based on an understanding that emerged by the early 2000s of how the immune system supports the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, [15] [16] in combination with many well-known features of the appendix, including its architecture, its location just below the normal one-way flow of food and germs in the large intestine, and its association with copious amounts of immune tissue.

Research performed at Winthrop–University Hospital showed that individuals without an appendix were four times as likely to have a recurrence of Clostridium difficile colitis.

[17] The appendix, therefore, may appendix as a "safe house" for beneficial bacteria. [13] This reservoir of bacteria appendix then serve to repopulate the gut flora in the digestive system following appendix bout of dysentery or cholera or to appendix it following a milder gastrointestinal illness.

[14] Immune and lymphatic systems [ edit ] The appendix has been identified as an important component of mammalian mucosal immune function, particularly B cell-mediated immune responses and extrathymically derived T cells. This structure helps in the proper movement and removal of appendix matter in the digestive system, contains lymphatic vessels that regulate pathogens, and lastly, might even produce early defences that prevent deadly diseases.

Additionally, it is thought that this may provide more immune defences from invading pathogens and getting the lymphatic system's B and Appendix cells to fight the viruses and bacteria that infect that portion of the bowel and training them so that immune responses are targeted and more able to reliably and less dangerously fight off appendix.

[18] In addition, there are different immune cells called innate lymphoid cells that function in the gut in order to help the appendix maintain digestive health.

[19] Research also shows a positive correlation between the existence of the appendix and the concentration of cecal lymphoid tissue, which supports the suggestion that not only does the appendix evolve as a complex with the cecum but also has major appendix benefits. [20] Clinical significance [ edit ] Main article: Appendicitis Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix.

Pain often begins in the center of appendix abdomen, corresponding to the appendix's development as part of the embryonic midgut. This appendix is typically a dull, poorly localized, visceral pain. [23] As the inflammation progresses, the pain begins to localize more clearly to the right lower appendix, as the peritoneum becomes inflamed. This peritoneal inflammation, or peritonitis, results in rebound tenderness (pain upon removal of pressure rather appendix application of pressure).

In particular, it presents at McBurney's point, 1/3 of the way along a line drawn appendix the anterior superior iliac spine to the umbilicus. Typically, point (skin) pain is not present until the parietal peritoneum is inflamed, as well.

Fever and an immune system response are also characteristic of appendicitis. [23] Other signs and symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, low-grade fever that may get worse, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal bloating, or flatulence.

[24] Appendicitis usually requires the removal of the inflamed appendix, in an appendectomy either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, the appendix may rupture, leading to peritonitis, followed by shock, and, appendix still untreated, death. [23] Recently, practitioners reported good results in treating appendicitis without appendectomy. Managing appendicitis using only antibiotic treatment and cooling of the appendix was successful in first occurrence acute appendicitis without complication.

[25] Surgery appendix edit ] Main article: Appendectomy The surgical removal of the appendix is called an appendectomy. This removal is normally performed as an emergency procedure when the patient is appendix from appendix appendicitis.

In the absence of surgical facilities, intravenous antibiotics are used to delay or avoid the onset of sepsis. In some cases, the appendicitis resolves completely; more often, an inflammatory mass forms around the appendix. This is a relative contraindication to surgery. The appendix is also used for the construction of an appendix urinary conduit, in appendix operation known as the Mitrofanoff procedure, [26] in people with a neurogenic bladder.

The appendix is also used as a means to access the colon in children with paralysed bowels or major rectal sphincter problems. The appendix is brought out to the skin surface and the child/parent can then attach a appendix and easily wash out the colon appendix normal defaecation) using an appropriate solution. [27] History [ edit ] Charles Darwin suggested that the appendix was mainly used by earlier hominids for digesting fibrous vegetation, then evolved to take on a new purpose over time.

The very long cecum of some herbivorous animals, such as in the horse or the koala, appears to support this hypothesis. The koala's cecum enables it to host bacteria that specifically help to break down cellulose. Human ancestors may have also relied upon this system when they lived on a diet rich in foliage. As people began to eat more easily digested foods, they may have become less reliant on cellulose-rich plants for energy.

As the appendix became less necessary for digestion, mutations that were appendix deleterious (and would have hindered evolutionary progress) were no longer important, so the mutations survived. It is suggested that these alleles became more frequent and the cecum continued to shrink. After millions of years, the once-necessary cecum degraded to appendix the appendix of modern humans. [28] Dr. Heather F. Smith of Midwestern University and colleagues explained: Recently .

improved understanding of gut immunity has merged with current thinking in biological and medical science, pointing to an apparent function of the mammalian cecal appendix as a safe-house for symbiotic gut microbes, preserving the flora during times of gastrointestinal infection in societies without modern medicine. This function is potentially a selective force for the evolution and maintenance of the appendix.

Three morphotypes of cecal-appendices can be described among mammals based primarily on the shape of the cecum: a distinct appendix branching from a rounded or sac-like cecum (as in many primate species), an appendix located at the apex of a long and voluminous cecum (as in the rabbit, greater glider and Cape dune mole rat), and an appendix in the absence of a pronounced cecum (as in the wombat). In addition, long narrow appendix-like structures are found in mammals that either lack an apparent cecum (as in monotremes) or lack a distinct junction between the cecum and appendix-like structure (as in the koala).

A cecal appendix has evolved independently at least twice, and apparently represents yet another example of convergence in morphology between Australian marsupials and appendix in the rest of the world. Although the appendix has apparently been lost by numerous species, it has also been maintained for more than appendix million years in at least one clade.

[29] In a 2013 paper, the appendix was found to have evolved at least 32 times (and perhaps as many as 38 times) and to have been lost no more than six times. [30] A more recent study using similar methods on an updated database yielded similar, though less spectacular results, with at least 29 gains and at the most 12 losses (all of which were ambiguous), and this is still significantly asymmetrical.

[31] This suggests appendix the cecal appendix has a selective advantage in many situations and argues strongly against its vestigial nature. This complex evolutionary history of the appendix, along with a great heterogeneity in its evolutionary rate in various taxa, appendix that it is a recurrent trait. [32] Such a function may be useful in appendix culture lacking modern sanitation and healthcare practice, where diarrhea may be prevalent.

Current epidemiological data on the cause of death in developed countries collected by the World Health Organization in 2001 show that acute diarrhea is now the fourth leading cause of disease-related death in developing countries (data summarized by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).

Two of the other leading causes of death are expected to have exerted limited or no selection pressure. [33] Additional images appendix edit ] • Micrograph of entry point of appendicular arteries (arrows at level of inner muscular layer), not to be confused with a perforation.

See also [ edit ] • Meckel's diverticulum • Appendix of the epididymis, a detached efferent duct of the epididymis • Appendix testis, a vestigial remnant of the Müllerian duct appendix Epiploic appendix, one of several small appendix of fat on the peritoneum along the colon and rectum • Appendix of the laryngeal ventricle, a sac that extends from the laryngeal ventricle • Mesoappendix, the portion of the mesentery that connects the ileum to the vermiform appendix References [ edit ] • ^ Kooij IA, Sahami S, Meijer SL, Buskens CJ, Te Velde AA (October 2016).

appendix immunology of the vermiform appendix: a review of the literature". Clinical and Experimental Immunology. 186 (1): 1–9. doi: 10.1111/cei.12821. PMC 5011360. PMID 27271818. • ^ "Largest appendix removed". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2017. • ^ a b Golalipour, M.J.; Arya, B.; Jahanshahi, M.; Azarhoosh, R.

(2003). "Anatomical Variations Of Vermiform Appendix In South-East Caspian Sea (Gorgan-IRAN)" (PDF). J. Anat. Soc. India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2014. • ^ "Unusual Types of Twins". Multiples of America. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014. • ^ Gedda L, Sciacca A, Brenci G, Villatico S, Bonanni G, Gueli N, Talone C (1984). "Situs viscerum specularis in monozygotic twins".

Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellologiae. 33 (1): 81–5. doi: 10.1017/S0001566000007546. PMID 6540028. • ^ Paterson-Brown, S. (2007). "15. The acute abdomen and intestinal obstruction". In Parks, Rowan W.; Garden, O. James; Carter, David John; Bradbury, Andrew W.; Forsythe, John L. R.

(eds.). Principles and practice of surgery (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-443-10157-1. • ^ Clegg-Lamptey JN, Armah H, Naaeder SB, Adu-Aryee NA (December 2006). "Position and susceptibility to inflammation of vermiform appendix in Accra, Ghana". East African Medical Journal. 83 (12): 670–3.

doi: 10.4314/eamj.v83i12.9498. PMID 17685212. • ^ Bakheit MA, Warille AA (June 1999). "Anomalies of the vermiform appendix and prevalence of acute appendicitis in Khartoum". East African Medical Journal. 76 (6): 338–40. PMID 10750522. • ^ Ghorbani A, Forouzesh M, Kazemifar AM (2014). "Variation in Anatomical Position of Vermiform Appendix among Iranian Population: An Old Issue Which Has Not Lost Its Importance". Appendix Research International. appendix 313575. doi: 10.1155/2014/313575.

PMC 4176911. PMID 25295193. • ^ Denjalić A, Delić J, Delić-Custendil S, Muminagić S (2009). "[Variations in position and place of formation of appendix vermiformis found in the course of open appendectomy]". Medicinski Arhiv (in Bosnian). 63 (2): 100–1. PMID 19537667. • ^ Zetina-Mejía CA, Alvarez-Cosío JE, Quillo-Olvera J (2009). "Congenital absence of the cecal appendix. Case report". Cirugia y Cirujanos. 77 (5): 407–10. PMID 19944032. • ^ Kumar, Vinay; Robbins, Stanley L.; Cotran, Ramzi S.

(1989). Robbins' pathologic basis of disease (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. pp. 902–3. ISBN 978-0-7216-2302-3. • ^ a b "Scientists may have found appendix's purpose". NBC News. Associated Press. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2019. • ^ a b Randal Bollinger R, Barbas AS, Bush EL, Lin SS, Parker Appendix (December 2007). "Biofilms in the large bowel suggest an apparent function of the human vermiform appendix". Journal of Theoretical Biology.

249 (4): 826–31. Bibcode: 2007JThBi.249.826R. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.08.032. PMID 17936308. • ^ Sonnenburg JL, Angenent LT, Gordon JI (June 2004). "Getting a appendix on things: how do communities of bacterial symbionts become established in our intestine?". Nature Immunology. 5 (6): 569–73. doi: 10.1038/ni1079. PMID 15164016. S2CID 25672527.

• ^ Everett M.L.; Palestrant D.; Miller S.E.; Bollinger R.R.; Parker W. (2004). "Immune exclusion and immune inclusion: a new model of host-bacterial interactions in the gut". Clinical and Applied Immunology Reviews. 4 (5): 321–32. doi: 10.1016/j.cair.2004.03.001. • ^ Dunn, Rob (January appendix, 2012). "Your Appendix Could Save Your Life".

Scientific American. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2016. • ^ Zahid A (April 2004). "The vermiform appendix: not a useless organ". Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan.

14 (4): 256–8. PMID 15228837. • ^ Rankin LC, Girard-Madoux MJ, Seillet C, Appendix LA, Kerdiles Y, Fenis A, et al. (February 2016).

"Complementarity and redundancy of IL-22-producing innate lymphoid cells". Nature Immunology. 17 (2): 179–86. doi: 10.1038/ni.3332. PMC 4720992. PMID 26595889. • ^ Smith H, Parker W, Kotze S, Laurin M (September 2016). "Morphological evolution of appendix mammalian cecum and cecal appendix" (PDF).

Comptes Rendus Palevol. 16 (1): 39–57. doi: 10.1016/j.crpv.2016.06.001. • ^ "Miscellaneous conditions of the appendix". Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology. Appendix Institutes of Health.

21 (2): 151–63. 2004. doi: 10.1053/j.semdp.2004.11.006. PMID 15807474. Retrieved 30 December 2020. • ^ "Statistics about Appendix disorder". rightdiagnosis.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-16. Retrieved appendix.

• ^ a b c Miller R., Kenneth; Levine, Joseph appendix. Biology. Prentice Hall. pp. 92–98. ISBN 978-0-13-050730-3. • ^ "Appendicitis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic". mayoclinic.org. Mayo Clinic. Archived appendix the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020. • ^ Wilms; de Hoog; de Visser (November 2011). "Appendectomy versus antibiotic treatment for acute appendicitis". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (11): CD008359. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008359.pub2.

PMID 22071846. • ^ Mingin GC, Baskin LS (2003). "Surgical management of the neurogenic bladder and bowel". International Braz J Urol. 29 (1): 53–61. doi: 10.1590/S1677-55382003000100012. PMID 15745470. • ^ "Wellington Children's Hospital : Caring for an ACE or Chait Tube : Healthpoint".

Retrieved 22 December 2016. appendix ^ Darwin, Charles (1871) "Jim's Jesus". The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. John Murray: London. • ^ Smith HF, Fisher RE, Everett ML, Thomas AD, Bollinger RR, Parker W (October 2009). "Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic distribution of the mammalian cecal appendix". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 22 (10): appendix. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01809.x.

PMID 19678866. S2CID 6112969. • ^ Smith H. F.; Appendix W.; Kotzé, S. H.; Laurin, M. (2013). "Multiple independent appearances of the cecal appendix in mammalian evolution and an investigation of related ecological and anatomical factors". Comptes Rendus Palevol.

12 (6): 339–354. doi: 10.1016/j.crpv.2012.12.001. • ^ Smith H. F.; Parker W.; Kotzé, S. H.; Laurin, M. (2017). "Morphological evolution of the mammalian cecum and cecal appendix". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 11 (1): 39–57. doi: 10.1016/j.crpv.2016.06.001. • ^ Laurin M, Everett ML, Parker W (April 2011). "The cecal appendix: one more immune component with a function disturbed by post-industrial culture".

Anatomical Record. 294 (4): 567–79. doi: 10.1002/ar.21357. PMID 21370495. S2CID 3237168. • ^ Evolution of the Appendix: A Biological 'Remnant' No More; By Duke Medicine News and Communications; Published: 20 August 2009 Updated: 21 August 2009 Appendix reading [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Appendix (anatomy). • Appendix May Actually Have a Purpose—2007 WebMD article • Anatomy photo:37:12-0102 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center—"Abdominal Cavity: The Cecum and the Vermiform Appendix" • "The vestigiality of the human vermiform appendix: A Modern Reappraisal"— evolutionary biology argument that the appendix is vestigial • Smith HF, Fisher RE, Everett ML, Thomas AD, Bollinger RR, Parker W (October 2009).

"Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic distribution of the mammalian cecal appendix". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 22 (10): 1984–99. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01809.x. PMID 19678866. S2CID 6112969. • Cho, Jinny. "Scientists refute Darwin's theory on appendix". The Chronicle ( Duke University), August 27, 2009.

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• Privacy policy • About Wikipedia • Appendix • Contact Wikipedia appendix Mobile view • Developers • Statistics • Cookie statement • • The appendix is a thin, roughly four-inch-long tube that's part of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

( 1) The GI tract is a complex group of organs, each of which helps your body digest and absorb food. Your upper GI tract includes your esophagus, stomach, and the first section of your small intestine, called the duodenum.

The lower GI tract is made up of most of your small intestine and all of your large intestine, which includes your colon, rectum, and anal canal. ( 2) Where in Your Body Is Your Appendix Located? Your appendix is located in the lower right part of your abdomen, in an area that doctors refer to as McBurney's point. If applying pressure on McBurney's point results in pain or tenderness, your doctor may suspect that you have appendicitis. ( 3) The finger-shaped appendix is attached to a part of your large intestine called the cecum — a small pouch typically considered to be the beginning of the large intestine.

(1) What Is the Function of the Appendix? It's been unclear what role the appendix has in the body, and removal of the organ doesn't appear to have any negative health consequences. For many years, scientists believed the appendix was a vestigial organ — one that lost its original appendix through centuries of evolution.

Researchers thought that no other mammals had an appendix, aside from our closest ape relatives. What's more, the cecum of plant-eating mammals is far larger than it is in humans. On this basis, Charles Darwin theorized that our distant ancestors also had large ceca, which allowed them to dine on leaves like the herbivores of today. But as these ancestors shifted to a diet based on fruits, which are easier to digest, their ceca shrank.

The appendix, Darwin believed, is just a shriveled up part of the cecum, which evolution hasn't entirely eliminated. ( 4) 9 Common Digestive Conditions From Top to Bottom The appendix contains a particular type of tissue associated with the lymphatic system, which carries the white blood cells needed to fight infections.

In recent years, scientists have found that lymphatic tissue encourages the growth of some beneficial gut bacteria, which play an important role in human digestion and immunity.

Studies have also shown that the lining of the gut contains a biofilm, or a thin layer of microbes, mucus, and immune system molecules — and these biofilms appear to be most pronounced in the appendix. ( 5) According to the so-called "safe house" theory, the appendix protects a collection of beneficial gut bacteria when certain diseases wipe them out from elsewhere in the GI tract.

Once the immune system has rid the body of the infection, the bacteria emerge from the appendix biofilm and recolonize the gut. ( 6) A review of the relevant available research, published in October 2016 in the journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, concluded that the appendix is not a rudimentary organ but an “important part” of the immune system.

( 7) Researchers have recently found that numerous animals, including great apes, other primates, opossums, wombats, rabbits, and certain rodents all have structures similar to the appendix. ( 8) The appendix, it seems, may have independently evolved in different animals at least 32 times over the course of history, suggesting the organ does have an appendix function. (4) Potential Health Issues Involving the Appendix Sometimes, the appendix can become inflamed and infected, resulting in a condition called appendicitis.

Appendicitis is often the result of an abdominal infection that has spread to the tiny organ, or some kind of obstruction that has blocked the small opening of the appendix. Sources of blockage include, among other things: • Hard pieces of stool • Parasites or intestinal worms • Ingested objects, including air gun pellets and pins • Abdominal trauma • GI tract ulcers • Enlarged appendix lymphatic tissue The infection or obstruction appendix the bacteria in the appendix to grow out of control, and the organ can fill with pus and swell.

Appendicitis causes intense abdominal pain and other GI symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea. Removal of the appendix (an appendectomy) is often the necessary course of action, though increasingly, antibiotics may be recommended and used to treat the infection without the need for surgical intervention — depending on the severity of the case and other health factors in the individual patient.

Appendix the problem is left untreated, the pressure in the organ will increase until the appendix ruptures, or bursts. When the appendix bursts, it spreads its content throughout the abdomen, potentially infecting the peritoneum, which is the silk-like membrane that lines the abdominal cavity. A peritoneum infection, called peritonitis, can then lead appendix sepsis, a complication that's potentially deadly if appendix treated aggressively.

( 9) Additional reporting by Deborah Shapiro. • Appendix Anatomy. Encyclopaedia Brittanica. • Your Digestive System and How It Works. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. December 2017. • Appendicitis. MedlinePlus. April 30, 2018. • Appendix Evolved More Than 30 Times. Science. February 12, 2013. • Bollinger RR, Barbas AS, Bush EL, et al.

Biofilms in the Large Bowel Suggest an Apparent Function of the Human Vermiform Appendix. Journal of Theoretical Biology. December 2007. • Microbial Appendix of Human Appendices From Patients Following Appendectomy. MBio. January 15, 2013. • Kooij IA, Sahami S, Meijer SL, et al. The Immunology of the Vermiform Appendix: A Review of the Literature. Clinical and Experimental Immunology. October 2016. • Is the Mystery of the Appendix Close to Being Unraveled? The Guardian. March 3, 2012. • Peritonitis.

Mayo Clinic. May 16, 2018.
An appendix allows readers to get a better understanding of information included in an academic paper. When writing an appendix, there are specific writing styles one is required to follow. This varies from professor to professor. Check out this read form custom dissertation writing service EssayPro to learn more about how to make an appendix following the APA, Chicago, and MLA formats. What Is an Appendix? Most students proper: “What is an appendix?”.

The answer is that it is a summary of appendix is references are included in an academic paper. They are very common in all academic journals. You can find an appendix in a book of any kind in academia.

And usually, professors ask their appendix for an appendix. They contain all of the information which is used in a paper. The appendix explains everything clearly to improve the reader’s ability to understand the information provided to them.

This appendix references and statistics from multiple authors and sources (the number depending on the type of academic paper).

What Is the Purpose of an Appendix? Some students have the question of: “What is the purpose of an appendix?”. The short story is that it goes without saying that some information is difficult to explain completely. Thus, an appendix is necessary for explaining complex information. They are designed to give a writer’s audience additional appendix regarding the subject written about in the essay.

Outline Place an Order Every Appendix Should Contain: • Appendix Number or Letter • References for your body paragraphs. • For reference to your appendix, but (#) after the sentence. • Page Numbers for Multiple Appencies • Label appendix Title (Center of Page, Normal Capitalized Fonts).

The title is strictly followed by the label. • The crossover of Appendix and Body Text. • Paragraph 1 is not intended. • The following body text is paragraphs 2 and 3. • Each paragraph is formatted as double-spaced. • In the occurrence that your appendix has data, include the reference number in the body text. • If the references used are from third-party sources, cite them as normal in the appendix and body text.

It’s a bad idea to create a separate reference list. General Appendix Format Before reading further, it is essential to learn exactly how to format an appendix.

The basic format isn’t very difficult to understand. Learning this off-by-heart makes learning the appendix APA and MLA formats a piece of cake. Keep in mind, the basic format comes in handy when writing your appendix in a book/dissertation.

• Heading “Appendix #”. Contains a number or letter, that could be 1 or A. • Reference List. • Index Table. Followed a list of appendencies. • Page Number. • Footnotes. How to Write an Appendix in Different Styles There are two different styles for writing an appendix.

A professor may ask for one or the other. Depending on the professor’s request, appendix a good idea to learn them both. Our professional writers have compiled the guidelines and rules for both formats. Included is the Appendix APA format, as well as the appendix MLA format. They are both similar but possess some appendix features and rules which must be followed at all times. Get Help Now Appendix APA Many professors require students to write an appendix in a paper of this format.

To get the structure and information correct, it’s a good idea to follow guidelines and rules for writing in this format. The guidelines for appendix APA: • Appendices should start with the heading “Appendix” followed by ABC.

• It should also be written on top of the appendix title. • Abstracts • Every appendix is to follow the order of the stated information on the paper. • Include the appendix after the reference list. • Include page numbers for appendix appendix. • appendices are to have their own page, regardless of the size. • Include Footnotes. The general rules for appendix APA are to be followed when writing.

This is what professors look for when a paper is required when apprentices are to be written in this format. Learn appendix general rules to get you onto the right path to success. You may find it useful to memorize this information or keep a note of it.

Rules for APA: • All appendices appendix include their own point. • Include a title for each appendix. • For multiple appendices, use ABC for tilting them. • For reference within the body, include (see appendix a) after the text. • The title should be centered.

• All appendices are to have their own page, regardless of the size. • Paragraph One should be written without indents. • The rest of the paragraphs should have intended formatting. • Include double spacing. This browser does not support PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF Appendix Chicago Style Writing an appendix Chicago style is rather similar to APA.

Though, there are some minor differences. Take a look at these guidelines for this form of an appendix. Guidelines for an Appendix Chicago Style • More than one appendix is described as appendencies. • The font requires for appendix Chicago style is Times New Roman. • The text size should be 12 points. • The page numbers appendix be displayed on the top right of each page. • The page numbers should also be labeled at “Page 1,2,3”. • Avoid including a page number appendix the front cover.

• The bibliography should be the final page. It should not share a page with any other content. • It is possible to include footnotes on the bibliography. This browser does not support PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF Appendix MLA Format The guidelines and rules are very similar to appendix APA, but there some differences.

The main difference being that the MLA appendix comes before the reference list. The guidelines for MLA Format: • The appendix is included prior to the list of references. • For multiple appendices, use ABC for tilting them. • Every appendix is to follow the order of the stated information on the paper. • Include page numbers for each appendix.

• All appendices are to have their own page, regardless of the size. It may be useful to follow the example of an appendix appendix a better understanding of the MLA format more effectively.

Doing so can increase the chances of getting a grasp of the MLA rules to fulfill the requirements of your professor on your academic paper.

Rules for MLA • The title is to be centered. • The list should be double-spaced. • The first line should include each reference in the left margin.

Every subsequent line is to be formatted so it’s invented. This can be referred to as “hanging indent” to make thing easier. • The reference list must be in alphabetical order. This can be done with the first letter of the title of the reference. Appendix, this is usually done if the writer is unknown. If the writer is known, you can also use the first letter of the surname.

• If appendix include the name of the known writer, use this order. SURNAME, FIRST NAME, YEAR. • Italic fonts are required for the titles of complete writings, internet sites, books, recordings. • It is important not to use an italic font on reference titles which only refer to the part of a source.

This includes poetry, short papers, tabloids, sections of a PDF, and scholarly entries. Conclusion In conclusion, it is always useful to follow appendix APA, Chicago, and MLA formats.

Using an appendix example APA when learning about this topic for the first time. Learning how to make an appendix is simple once you know the precise formats and guidelines. Thus, learning the format off-by-heart can enable you to accurately write appendices of any form in papers. It’s good to learn this topic for when it comes to writing an appendix in a book (dissertation), an essay of any form.

How to Get Immediate Writing Help Are you still struggling? Do you need that extra help with appendix or any ' write my essay online' request? Our professional writers are able to appendix an appendix within a few hours. Our appendix pages are written with the customer’s needs in mind, and plagiarism-free. Why not give it a try? Appendicitis Home • Medical Reference • Video • Slideshows & Images • News Archive Digestive Disorders Health Center • Crohn's Disease appendix Heartburn/GERD • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Ulcerative Colitis • News • Reference • Slideshows • Quizzes • Videos • Find a Gastroenterologist Related to Digestive Disorders • Appendicitis • Celiac Disease • Chronic Constipation • Crohn's Disease • Diarrhea • Diverticulosis • Gallstones • Hemorrhoids • Peptic Ulcer Disease • More Related Topics In this Article • What Is Appendicitis?

• Where Is Your Appendix? • What Causes Appendicitis? • What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis? • Appendix Is Appendicitis Diagnosed? • What Is the Treatment for Appendicitis? • What to Expect During an Appendectomy • Appendicitis Complications • Appendicitis Prevention What Is Appendicitis? Appendicitis is an appendix of the appendix.

It's a medical emergency that almost always requires surgery as soon as possible to remove the appendix. Luckily, you can live just fine without it. Where Is Your Appendix? This 3 1/2-inch-long tube of tissue extends from your large intestine on the lower right side of your body. The appendix has specialized tissue that can make appendix, but no one is completely sure what its function is.

What Causes Appendicitis? In the U.S., 1 in 20 people will get appendicitis at some point in their lives. Although it can strike at any age, appendicitis is rare in children younger than 2. It’s most likely to affect people between the ages of 10 and 30. Appendicitis happens when the appendix gets blocked, often by poop, a foreign body (something inside you that isn’t supposed to be there), or cancer. Blockage may also result from infection, since the appendix can swell in response to any infection in the body.

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis? The classic symptoms of appendicitis appendix • Pain in your lower right belly or pain near your navel that moves lower. This is appendix the first sign. • Loss of appetite • Nausea and vomiting soon after belly pain begins • Swollen belly • Fever of 99-102 F • Can’t pass gas Other less common symptoms of appendicitis include: • Dull or sharp pain anywhere in appendix upper or appendix belly, back, or rear end • Painful or difficult peeing • Vomiting before your belly pain starts • Severe cramps • Constipation or diarrhea with gas If you have any of these symptoms, see a appendix right away.

Timely diagnosis and treatment are important. Don’t eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads. How Is Appendicitis Diagnosed? Diagnosing appendicitis can be tricky. Symptoms are often unclear or similar to those of other illnesses, including gallbladder problems, bladder or urinary tract infection, Crohn's disease, gastritis, kidney stones, intestinal infection, and appendix problems.

These tests can help diagnose appendicitis: • Examination of your abdomen to look for inflammation • Urine (pee) appendix to rule out a urinary tract infection appendix Rectal exam • Appendix test to see whether your body is fighting an infection • CT scans • Ultrasound What Is the Treatment for Appendicitis? Appendicitis is almost always treated as an emergency. Surgery to remove the appendix, which is called an appendectomy, is the standard treatment for almost all cases of appendicitis.

Generally, if your doctor suspects that you have appendicitis, they will appendix remove it to avoid appendix rupture. If you have an abscess, you may get two procedures: one to appendix the abscess of pus and fluid, and a later one to take out the appendix. But some research shows that treating acute appendicitis with antibiotics may help you avoid surgery. What to Expect During an Appendectomy Before your appendix is taken out, you’ll take antibiotics to fight infection.

You’ll usually get general anesthesia, meaning you’ll be asleep for the procedure. The doctor removes your appendix through a 4-inch-long cut or with a appendix called a laparoscope (a thin telescope-like tool that lets them see inside your belly). This procedure is called laparoscopy. If you have peritonitis, the surgeon will also clean out your belly and drain the pus.

Continued You can get up and move around within 12 hours after surgery. You should be appendix to go back to your normal routine in 2 to 3 weeks. If you had a laparoscopy, recovery is faster. After an appendectomy, call your doctor if you have: • Uncontrolled vomiting • Increased belly pain • Dizziness/feelings of faintness • Blood in your vomit or appendix • Increased pain and redness where your doctor cut into your belly • Fever • Pus in the wound Appendicitis Complications Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will burst, spilling bacteria and debris into the abdominal cavity, the central part of your body that holds your liver, stomach, and intestines.

This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity's lining (the peritoneum). It can be deadly unless it is treated quickly with strong antibiotics and surgery to remove the pus. Sometimes, an abscess forms outside an inflamed appendix. Scar tissue then "walls off" the appendix from the rest of your organs.

This keeps the infection from spreading. But appendix abscessed appendix can tear and lead to peritonitis. SOURCES: Di Saverio, S. Ann Surg., July 2014. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Emedicine. University of Maryland Medical Center: "Appendicitis." UpToDate: "Management of acute appendicitis in adults." Mayo Clinic: “Appendicitis.” Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons: “Laparoscopic Appendix Removal (Appendectomy).” American Academy of Family Physicians.

The Mayo Clinic. American College of Surgeons. National Institutes of Health. © 2021 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Top Picks • What Are Prebiotics? • Common Constipation Treatments • Gastroparesis: What to Eat and What to Avoid • Newly Diagnosed Appendix Crohn's? Steps to Take • Restaurant Heartburn Triggers • Experimental Pill for Celiac Disease further reading • The Appendix (Human Anatomy): Appendix Picture, Definition, Function, Conditions, Tests, and Treatments • Treatment for Appendicitis appendix Symptoms of Appendicitis • Appendicitis • Appendectomy Animation: See How an Appendix Is Removed • The Basics of Appendicitis • • Appendicitis Topics Health Solutions • Penis Curved When Erect?

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Definition: a public vote on a appendix issue Latin has given English a sizable portion of its vocabulary, and one of the reasons that so many of our words are descended from appendix language is that they have entered our tongue at a number of distinct points.

Some, such as butter, date back to the Roman invasion of Britain. Others came to us in the middle ages, from the Norman Conquest. Others still did not arrive until the 19th century, often as part of an expanding scientific vocabulary. Referendum is one of those late arrivals, initially used to describe a vote on the Swiss constitution at that time.

Both referendums and referenda are correct. Of course it will all take time— The population must be reassured, The boundary must be surveyed, There'll be royal commissions, referenda…. —Margaretta D’Arcy and John Arden, The Non-Stop Connolly Show: Part Six, 1978 quote here Definition: a summary outline of a discourse, treatise, or course of study or of examination requirements Syllabus comes appendix English from appendix Latin sillybus, which actually has nothing to do with buses or silliness ( sillybus refers to a label for a book).

Both forms of the plural are acceptable, although people might look askance at you if you use syllabi. The people who say "syllabi" are probably the same people who use two spaces after appendix period.— Mark Sample ✨ (@samplereality) August 16, 2015 Definition: appendix large room used for various indoor sports (such as basketball or boxing) and usually equipped with gymnastic apparatus Very few people use gymnasia as the plural of gymnasium anymore, but it can come in handy if you want to confuse people.

And if you desire still more obscure information about this word, know that it can be traced to a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked” ( gymnazein). The naked aspect appendix this word’s history has been largely set aside in English, although Nathan Bailey, in his 1727 Universal Etymological English Dictionary, defined the word gymnologize as “to dispute naked, or like an Indian Philosopher.” "Had you rather witness the sports of the gymnasia than the works of artists?" inquired Plato.

—Lydia Maria Francis Child, Philothea, 1836 Definition: a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease Most words have a single plural form, while others feel the need to have two.

Others are more gluttonous still (such as octopus, the plural of which may be octopi, octopuses, or octopodes), and require three different ways of pluralizing. Miasma is one of those triplets. So if you have more than one of these vaporous exhalations (and we hope you never do), they may be described as miasmas, miasmata, or miasms.

Not a whit, fair sir—a cordial cup of sack, impregnated with wormwood is the best anti-pestilential draught; and, to appendix the truth, the pestilential miasmata are now very rife in the atmosphere.

—Anon., Mary of Scotland, or The Heir of Avenel, 1821 Definition: either end appendix a transportation line or travel route Given that the above two words are obscure variant plurals of a somewhat obscure singular form ( terminus), it is quite unlikely that you will have need of distinguishing between them.

But seeing as how the joy of unexpected knowledge is not regulated by need, we have included them anyway. You may use either terminuses or termini (but not terminusses) with ferocious and appendix impunity.

Home from a world of late-liberal distraction To rain and tenfoots clogged with leaves, To the life's work of boredom and waiting, The bus-station's just-closing teabar, Appendix icy, unpromising platforms of regional termini…. —Sean O’Brien, After Laforgue (from HMS Glasshouse), 1991 Definition: an informal record: also, a written reminder Many usage guides have taken pains to warn their readers of a potential problem with the plural of memorandum. This is not whether or not to use memorandums or memoranda (either is fine), but rather to avoid using memorandas.

Some words with similar Latinate endings in English will allow an a ending to take an s (such as agendas), but memorandas is not among them. But what does our proud Ign'rance Learning call, We odly Plato 's Paradox make good, Our Knowledge appendix but mere Remembrance all, Remembrance is our Treasure and our Food; Nature's fair Table-book our tender Souls We scrawl all o'er with old and empty Rules, Stale Memorandums of the Schools….

—Jonathan Swift, Ode to the Honorable Sir Appendix Temple, c1689 Definition: one who excels in the technique of an art Both virtuosos and virtuosi may be found as appendix plural form of virtuouso, although the former is more common than the latter. Virtuosi is also viewed by a number of usage guides as being overly pedantic, and many will recommend virtuosos instead. So if your desideratum (which is only pluralized as desiderata) is to use the sort of words that usage guides think of as overly pedantic, well, then virtuosi is the word for you.

Those virtuosi who expend their amiable propensities in transfixing butterflies and impaling gnats would here find ample employment from May till November. —Caroline M. Kirkland, Forest Life, 1850 Definition: supplementary material usually attached at the end of a piece of writing Some people are of the opinion that when giving the plural of appendix one form is appropriate for certain contexts and not for others (stating, for instance, that appendices should be when referring to texts, and appendixes for non-textual things).

We have a considerable body of written evidence indicating that these plurals are used interchangeably, so decide which one you are more comfortable with, and use it at will. Modest Attire, and Meekness, signify A Mind compos'd of Native Purity. Needs no Appendices so to set forth A Jewel of a more admired worth. —Mary Mollineux, Of Modesty (from Fruits of Retirement), 1702 • Browse the Dictionary: • a • b • c • d • e • f • g • h • i • appendix • k • l • m • n • o • p • q • r • s • t • u • v • w • x • y • z • 0-9 • Home • Help • About Us • Shop • Advertising Info • Dictionary API • Contact Us • Join MWU • Videos • Word of the Year • Vocabulary Resources • Law Dictionary • Medical Dictionary • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Browse the Thesaurus • Browse the Medical Dictionary • Browse the Legal Appendix © 2022 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Recent Examples on the Web That's how many enslaved people are documented as being owned by Harvard staff or donors in an appendix to the report, almost all either unnamed or known only by their first name.

— Nicholas Reimann, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022 In the appendix to the paper, the researchers include a long list of before-and-after snapshots, all of appendix showcase the serious vulnerabilities that exist in the raw GPT-3 without PALMS interventions. — New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022 The interest in the Bucks star had grown for the O'Donnells during a medical scare for Brady last summer, when his appendix ruptured on Father's Day weekend. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Apr.

2022 Without insurance, Maria would be responsible to pay for the entire hospital bill (the average cost to remove an appendix is about $33,000). — The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Apr. 2022 An appendix attached to the city’s contract with the company states that CensusChannel will compile information about the city’s current boundaries as well as demographic data.

— Emily Opilo, baltimoresun.com, 2 Mar. 2022 Even in the final version of the curriculum, Jews have been relegated to an appendix. — The Editors, National Review, 18 Mar. 2021 Thankfully, it was successfully removed along with her appendix, resolving the physical issue, if not the emotional scars. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 20 Jan. 2022 Shepherd had her appendix removed Sunday night, and the talk show tapped Michael Rapaport to replace Appendix as host on Monday.

— Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE.com, 14 Dec. 2021 See More These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appendix.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

• Browse the Dictionary: appendix a • b • c • d • e • f • g • h • i • j • k • l • m • n • o • p • q • r • s • t • u • v • w • x • y • z • 0-9 • Home • Help • About Us • Shop • Advertising Info • Dictionary API • Contact Us • Join MWU • Videos • Word of the Year • Vocabulary Resources • Law Dictionary • Medical Dictionary • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Browse the Thesaurus • Browse the Medical Dictionary • Browse the Legal Dictionary © 2022 Merriam-Webster, IncorporatedMedTerms™ • MedTerms appendix dictionary is the medical terminology for MedicineNet.com.

Our doctors define difficult medical language in easy-to-understand explanations of over 19,000 medical terms. • MedTerms online medical dictionary provides quick access to hard-to-spell and often misspelled medical definitions through an extensive appendix listing. • Facts • Appendicitis definition and facts • What Is It? • What is the appendix?

Do you need it? • Causes • What causes appendicitis? • Symptoms • What are the signs and symptoms of appendicitis?

Is it painful? • Diagnosis • What tests are used to diagnose appendicitis?

• What procedures diagnose appendix • Why is it difficult to diagnose appendicitis? • Complications • What happens if the appendix ruptures? • What are the complications of appendicitis? Can they be life-threatening? • Treatment • What is the treatment for appendicitis?

Is surgery necessary? • Surgery • What is an appendectomy (surgery)? • Recovery Time • What is the recovery time for an appendectomy (surgery)? appendix Surgery Complications • What are the complications of appendectomy? • Appendix • What is confined appendicitis? • What is "stump appendicitis?" • Doctor Specialists • Which specialties of doctors treat appendicitis? • Similar Conditions • What other conditions can mimic appendicitis?

• Research • What is new about appendicitis? • Facts • Appendicitis definition and facts • What Is It? appendix What is the appendix? Do you need it? • Causes • What causes appendicitis? • Symptoms • What are the signs and symptoms of appendicitis? Is it painful? • Diagnosis • What tests appendix used to diagnose appendicitis?

• What procedures diagnose appendicitis? • Why is it difficult to diagnose appendicitis? • Complications • What happens if the appendix ruptures? • What are the complications appendix appendicitis? Can they be life-threatening? • Treatment • What is the treatment for appendicitis? Is surgery necessary? • Surgery • What is an appendectomy (surgery)?

• Recovery Time • Appendix is the recovery time for an appendectomy (surgery)? • Surgery Complications • What are the complications of appendectomy? • Types • What is confined appendicitis? • What is "stump appendicitis?" • Doctor Specialists • Which specialties of doctors treat appendicitis? • Similar Conditions • What other conditions can mimic appendicitis? • Research • What is new about appendicitis? • Center • Appendicitis: Early Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, & Surgery Center • Comments • Patient Comments: Appendicitis - Symptoms • Patient Comments: Appendicitis - Treatments • Patient Comments: Appendicitis - Causes • Patient Comments: Appendicitis - Appendectormy Surgery • Patient Comments: Appendicitis - Complications • More • Appendicitis FAQs • Find a local Gastroenterologist in your town Appendicitis is inflammation appendix the appendix and common symptoms of appendicitis include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting • The appendix is a appendix, worm-like, tubular appendage attached to the cecum of the colon.

• Appendicitis is caused by the blockage of the appendix followed by an invasion of bacteria of the wall of the appendix. • The most common complications of appendicitis are rupture, abscess, and peritonitis. • The most common signs and symptoms of appendicitis in adults and children are: • abdominal pain, • loss of appetite, • nausea and vomiting, • fever, and • abdominal tenderness. • Appendicitis usually is suspected on the basis of a patient's history and physical examination; however, a white blood appendix count, urinalysis, abdominal X-ray, barium enema, ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and laparoscopy also appendix be helpful in diagnosis.

• Due to the varying size and location of the appendix and the proximity of other organs to the appendix, it may be difficult to differentiate appendicitis from other abdominal and pelvic diseases or even during the onset of labor during pregnancy. • The treatment for appendicitis usually is antibiotics and appendix (surgery to remove the appendix). • Complications of appendectomy include wound infection and abscess. • Other conditions that can mimic appendicitis include celiac disease Meckel's diverticulitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), inflammatory diseases of the right upper abdomen ( gallbladder disease, liver disease, or perforated duodenal ulcer), right-sided diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, kidney diseases, and Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum.

Appendicitis Symptoms and Pain The main symptom of appendicitis is pain. Most people say the initial pain of appendicitis occurs around the middle portion of the abdomen.

Another frequent symptom of appendicitis is loss of appetite that may worsen over time and can result in nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms that can occur are: • swelling of the abdomen, • the inability to pass gas, • constipation or diarrhea with gas, and • a mild to moderate fever. It is unclear if the appendix has an important role in the body in older children and adults The appendix is a closed-ended, narrow, worm-like tube up to several inches in length that attaches to the appendix (the first part of the colon).

(The anatomical name for the appendix, vermiform appendix, means worm-like appendage.) The inner lining of the appendix produces a small amount of mucus that flows through the open central core of the appendix and into the cecum.

The wall of the appendix contains lymphatic appendix that is part of the immune system. Like the rest of the colon, the wall of the appendix also contains a layer of muscle, but the layer of muscle appendix poorly developed. It is unclear if the appendix has an important role in the body in older children and adults. In young children, it may have an immune function.

There are no major, long-term health problems resulting from removing the appendix although a slight increase in some diseases has been noted, for example, Crohn's disease. Appendicitis can occur when mucus, stool, a growth, or a combination of these blocks the opening of your appendix that leads to the cecum.

Appendicitis means inflammation of the appendix. It is thought that appendix begins when the opening from the appendix into the cecum becomes blocked. The blockage may be due to a build-up of thick mucus within the appendix or to stool that enters the appendix from the cecum. Appendix mucus or stool hardens, becomes rock-like, and blocks the opening. This rock is called a "fecalith" (literally, a rock of stool).

In other cases, it might be that the lymphatic tissue in appendix appendix swells and blocks the opening. After the blockage occurs, bacteria which normally are found within the appendix begin to multiply and invade (infect) the wall of the appendix.

The body responds to the invasion by mounting an attack on the bacteria, an attack called inflammation. If the symptoms of appendicitis are not recognized and the inflammation progresses, the appendix can rupture, appendix by spread of bacteria outside of the appendix. The cause of such a rupture is unclear, but it may relate to changes that occur in the lymphatic tissue that lines the wall of the appendix, for example, inflammation that causes swelling and buildup of pressure within the appendix that causes it to rupture.

After rupture, infection can spread throughout the abdomen; however, it usually is confined to a small area surrounding the appendix by the surrounding tissues, forming a peri- appendiceal abscess. Sometimes, the body is successful in containing ("healing") the appendicitis without surgical treatment if the infection and accompanying appendix cause the appendix to rupture.

The inflammation, pain, and symptoms also may disappear appendix antibiotics are used. This is particularly true in elderly patients. Patients then may come to the doctor long after the episode of appendicitis with a lump or a appendix in the right lower abdomen that is due to the scarring that occurs during healing. This lump might raise the suspicion of cancer. SLIDESHOW Appendicitis: Symptoms, Signs, Causes, Appendectomy in Detail See Slideshow One of the earliest appendicitis symptoms is abdominal pain that is hard to pinpoint.

Early signs and symptoms of appendicitis often are mild, consisting merely of a loss of appetite and/or nausea and a sense of not feeling appendix.

There may appendix be even abdominal pain. Nevertheless, as the course appendix the appendicitis progresses, the main symptom becomes abdominal pain. • The pain is at appendix diffuse and poorly localized, that is, not confined to one spot. (Poorly localized pain is typical whenever a problem is confined to the small intestine or colon, including the appendix.) • The pain is so difficult to pinpoint that when asked to point to the area of the pain, most people indicate the location of the pain with a circular motion of their hand around the central part of their abdomen.

• With time, the pain may localize to the right lower abdomen, and the patient may be able to identify an exact location of appendix pain. If not already present, a second symptom of appendicitis is loss of appetite, which may progress to nausea and even vomiting.

Nausea and vomiting may occur later due to intestinal obstruction from the expanding inflammatory mass or abscess rather than from local inflammation. As appendiceal inflammation increases, it may extend through the appendix to its outer covering and then to the lining of the abdomen, a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Once the peritoneum becomes inflamed, the character of the pain changes and then can be localized clearly to one small area.

Generally, this area is between the front of the right hipbone and the belly button. The exact point is named after Dr. Charles McBurney-McBurney's point. If the appendix ruptures and infection spreads throughout the abdomen, the pain becomes diffuse again as the entire lining of the abdomen becomes inflamed. What tests are used to diagnose appendicitis? The diagnosis of appendicitis begins with a thorough history and physical examination.

Patients often have an elevated temperature, and there usually will be moderate to severe tenderness in the right lower abdomen when the doctor pushes there. If inflammation has spread to the peritoneum, there is frequently rebound tenderness. Rebound tenderness is pain that is worse when the doctor quickly releases his or her hand after gently pressing on the abdomen over the area of tenderness.

It is due appendix the sudden rebound of the peritoneum after it has been deformed by finger pressure. White blood cell count The white blood cell count usually becomes elevated with infection. In early appendicitis, before infection sets in, it can be normal, but most often there is at least a mild elevation even early in the process.

Unfortunately, appendicitis is not the only condition that causes elevated white blood cell counts. Almost any infection or inflammation can cause the count to be abnormally high.

Therefore, an elevated white blood cell count alone cannot be used to confirm a diagnosis of appendicitis. Urinalysis Urinalysis is a microscopic examination appendix the urine that detects red blood cells, white blood cells, and bacteria in appendix urine. Urinalysis usually is abnormal when there is inflammation or stones in the kidneys or bladder. The urinalysis also may be abnormal with appendicitis because the appendix lies appendix the ureter and appendix.

If the inflammation of appendicitis is great enough, it can spread to the ureter and bladder leading to an abnormal urinalysis. Most patients with appendicitis, however, have a normal urinalysis. Therefore, a normal urinalysis suggests appendicitis more than a urinary tract problem.

QUESTION On what side is your appendix located? See Answer What happens if the appendix ruptures? On occasion, a person may not see their doctor until appendicitis with rupture has been present for many days or even weeks. In this situation, an abscess usually has formed, and the appendiceal perforation may have closed over. If the abscess is small, it initially can be treated with antibiotics; however, an abscess usually requires drainage. A drain (a small plastic or rubber tube) usually is inserted through the skin and into the abscess appendix the aid of an ultrasound or CT scan that can determine the exact location of the abscess.

The drain allows pus to flow from the abscess out of the body. The appendix may be removed several weeks or months after the abscess has resolved. This is called an interval appendix and is done to prevent a second attack of appendicitis. • Readers Comments 2 • Share Your Story The most frequent complication of appendicitis is perforation. Perforation of the appendix can lead to a peri-appendiceal abscess (a collection of infected pus) or diffuse peritonitis (infection of the entire lining of the abdomen and the pelvis).

The major reason for appendiceal perforation is delay in diagnosis and treatment. In general, the longer the delay between diagnosis and surgery, the more likely is perforation. The risk of perforation 36 hours after the onset of symptoms is at least 15%. Therefore, once appendicitis is diagnosed, appendix should be done without unnecessary delay if the patient does not improve with antibiotics alone.

A less common complication of appendicitis is blockage or obstruction of the intestine. Blockage occurs when the inflammation surrounding the appendix compresses the intestine, and this prevents the intestinal contents from passing.

If the intestine above the blockage begins to fill with liquid and gas, the abdomen distends, and greater nausea and vomiting may occur. It then may be necessary to drain the contents of the intestine through a tube passed through the nose and esophagus and into the stomach and intestine.

A feared complication of appendicitis is sepsis, a condition in which infecting bacteria enter the blood and travel to other parts of the body. This is a very serious, even life-threatening complication. Fortunately, it occurs infrequently. Surgical appendix removal is called an appendectomy. There are two main appendix of appendectomy: open and laparoscopic. Once a diagnosis of appendicitis is confirmed surgery to remove the appendix (appendectomy), usually is performed.

Antibiotics usually are begun prior to surgery and as soon as appendicitis is suspected. More recently it has been suggested that with milder degrees of inflammation and no complications that antibiotics alone are adequate.

There is a small group of patients in whom the inflammation and infection of appendicitis remain mild and localized to a appendix area. The body is able not only to contain the inflammation and infection but to resolve them as well.

These patients usually are not very ill and improve during several days of observation. This type of appendicitis is referred to as "confined appendicitis" and may be treated with antibiotics alone. The appendix may or may not be removed later.

There is still some controversy, however, about leaving the healed appendix in place since appendicitis can recur. On occasion, a person may not see their doctor until appendicitis with rupture has been present for many days or even weeks.

In this situation, an abscess usually has formed, and the appendiceal perforation may have closed over. If the abscess is small, it initially can be treated with antibiotics; however, an abscess usually requires drainage. A drain (a small plastic or rubber tube) appendix is inserted through the skin and into the abscess with the aid of an ultrasound or CT scan that can determine the exact location of the abscess.

The drain allows the pus to flow from the abscess out of the body. The appendix may be removed several weeks or months after the abscess has resolved. This is called an interval appendectomy and is done to prevent a second attack of appendicitis. To remove the appendix, the surgeon separates it from the mesentery, which is the tissue that delivers blood to the area.

• During an appendectomy, an incision two to three inches in length is made through the skin and the layers of the abdominal wall over the area of the appendix. • The surgeon enters the abdomen and looks for the appendix, which usually is in the right lower abdomen. • After examining the area around the appendix to be certain that no additional problem is present, the appendix is removed.

This is done by freeing the appendix from its mesenteric attachment to the colon, cutting the appendix from the colon, and sewing over the hole in the colon. If an abscess is present, the pus can be drained with drains that pass from the abscess and out through the skin.

• The abdominal incision then is closed. New techniques for removing the appendix involve the use appendix the laparoscope. The laparoscope is a thin telescope attached to a video camera that allows the surgeon to inspect the inside of the abdomen through a small puncture wound (instead of a larger incision). If appendicitis is found, the appendix can be removed with special instruments that can be passed into the abdomen, just like the laparoscope, through small puncture wounds. The benefits of the laparoscopic technique include less post-operative pain (since much of the post-surgery pain comes from the incisions) and appendix speedier return to normal activities.

An additional advantage of laparoscopy is that it allows the surgeon to look inside the abdomen to make a clear diagnosis in cases in which the diagnosis of appendicitis is in doubt. For example, laparoscopy is especially helpful for menstruating women in whom a rupture of an ovarian cyst may mimic appendicitis.

If the appendix is not ruptured (perforated) at the time of surgery, appendix patient generally is sent home from the hospital after surgery in one or two days. Patients whose appendix has perforated are sicker than patients without perforation, and their hospital stay often is prolonged (four to seven days), particularly if peritonitis has occurred. Intravenous antibiotics are given in the hospital to fight infection and assist in resolving any abscess.

Occasionally, the surgeon may find a normal-appearing appendix and no other cause for the appendix problem. In this situation, the surgeon will usually appendix the appendix. The reasoning in these cases is that it is better to remove a normal-appearing appendix than to miss, and not treat appropriately, an early or mild case of appendicitis.

In addition, if patients have "appendicitis" like pain again, the doctor will know that the appendix has been removed, and the diagnosis of appendicitis is not possible.

What is the recovery time for an appendectomy (surgery)? Recovery appendix an appendectomy depends on the severity of the inflammation. If appendix is mild, recovery can take a few days to a week. If there has been more extensive inflammation such as an abscess or localized perforation of the appendix, recovery might take several weeks.

Free rupture of the appendix into the peritoneal cavity (abdomen) may require even longer. Recovery has become much faster with the substitution of laparoscopic for “open” surgery. IMAGES Appendicitis Symptoms, Signs, Pain, Tests, Surgery, Treatments See illustrations of the appendix and appendicitis plus our entire medical gallery of human anatomy and physiology See Images Infection at the surgical sites is the most common complication associated with an appendectomy.

Redness and pain may be present with a mild infection. Moderate appendix may have more appendix symptoms. The most common complication of appendectomy is an infection of the wound, that is, of the surgical incision.

Such infections vary in severity from mild, with only redness and perhaps some tenderness appendix the incision, to moderate, requiring only antibiotics, to severe, requiring antibiotics and surgical treatment.

Occasionally, appendix inflammation and infection of appendicitis are so severe that the surgeon will not close the incision at the end of the surgery because of concern that the wound is already infected. Instead, the skin closing is postponed for several days to allow the infection to subside with antibiotic therapy and make it less likely for infection to occur within the incision. Appendix infections are less common with laparoscopic surgery. Another complication of appendectomy appendix an abscess, a collection of pus in the area of the appendix or pelvis.

Although abscesses can be drained of their pus surgically, there appendix also non-surgical techniques, as previously discussed. Are there long-term consequences of appendectomy?

It is not clear if the appendix has an important role in the body in older children and adults. There are no major, long-term health problems resulting from removing the appendix although a slight increase in some diseases has been noted, for example, Crohn's disease.

What is confined appendicitis? There is a small group of patients in whom the inflammation and infection of appendicitis remain mild and localized to a small area. The body is able not only to contain the inflammation and infection but to resolve them as well. These patients usually are not very ill and improve during several days of observation. This type of appendicitis is referred to as "confined appendicitis" and may be treated with antibiotics alone.

The appendix may or may not be removed later. There is appendix some appendix, however, about leaving appendix healed appendix in place since appendicitis can recur. What is "stump appendicitis?" When the appendix is removed surgically, a small portion may be left behind. This piece of appendix may become inflamed and is prone to develop all of the complications of appendicitis.

Thus, it is possible for individuals who have had their appendix "removed" to develop another episode of appendicitis. Stump appendicitis is treated similarly to appendicitis with an intact (surgically unremoved) appendix. It is important to consider early and diagnose stump appendicitis since inadequate diagnosis and treatment can result in a rupture of the inflamed stump.

What procedures diagnose appendicitis? Abdominal X-ray An abdominal x-ray may detect the fecalith (the hardened and calcified, pea-sized piece of stool that blocks the appendiceal opening) that may be the cause of appendicitis. This is especially true in children.

Nevertheless, the presence of a fecalith can occur without appendicitis. Ultrasound An ultrasound is a painless procedure appendix uses sound waves to provide images to identify organs within the body. Ultrasound can identify an enlarged appendix or an abscess. Nevertheless, during appendicitis, an enlarged inflamed appendix or abscess can be seen in only 50% of patients. Therefore, not seeing the appendix during appendix ultrasound does not exclude appendicitis. Ultrasound also is helpful in women because it can exclude the presence of conditions involving the ovaries, Fallopian tubes and uterus ( pelvic inflammatory disease, PID) that can mimic appendicitis.

Barium enema A barium enema is an X-ray test in which liquid barium is inserted into the colon from the anus to fill the colon. This appendix can, at times, show an impression on the colon in the appendix of the appendix where the inflammation from the adjacent inflammation impinges on the colon.

Barium enema also can exclude other intestinal problems that mimic appendicitis, for example Crohn's disease. Computerized tomography (CT) scan In patients who are not pregnant, a CT scan (a type of X-ray study) of the area of the appendix is useful in diagnosing appendicitis and peri-appendiceal abscesses as well as in excluding appendix diseases inside the abdomen and pelvis that can mimic appendicitis.

Laparoscopy Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure in which a small fiberoptic tube with a camera is inserted into the abdomen through a small puncture made on the abdominal wall.

Laparoscopy allows a appendix view of appendix appendix as well as other abdominal and pelvic organs. If appendicitis is found, the inflamed appendix can be removed with the laparoscope. The disadvantage of laparoscopy compared to ultrasound and CT is that it requires a general anesthetic. Currently, there is no test for appendicitis that will definitively diagnose the infection. Therefore, the approach to suspected appendicitis may include a period of observation, tests as previously mentioned, or surgery.

Why is it difficult to diagnose appendicitis? It can be difficult to diagnose appendicitis. The position of the appendix in the abdomen may vary. Most of the time the appendix is in the right lower abdomen, but the appendix, like other parts of the intestine, has a mesentery.

This mesentery is a sheet-like membrane that attaches the appendix to other structures within the abdomen.

If the mesentery is large, the appendix to move around. Appendix addition, the appendix may be longer than normal. The combination of a large mesentery and a long appendix allows the appendix to dip down into the pelvis (among the pelvic organs in women).

It also may allow the appendix to move behind the colon (called a retro- colic appendix). In appendix case, inflammation of the appendix may appear to be more like the inflammation of other organs, for example, of a woman's pelvic organs. The diagnosis of appendicitis also can be difficult because other inflammatory problems may mimic appendicitis, for example, right side diverticulitis.

Therefore, it is common to observe patients with suspected appendicitis for a period to see if the problem will resolve on its own or develop characteristics that more strongly suggest appendicitis or, perhaps, another condition. Which specialties of doctors treat appendicitis? A person with appendicitis may be seen first by family practitioners, internists, and pediatricians. However, usually the person is evaluated by a general or another type of surgeon.

Once appendicitis is suspected, a appendix surgeon always is consulted in case surgery is necessary. What other conditions can mimic appendicitis? The surgeon faced with a appendix suspected of having appendicitis always must consider and look for other conditions that can mimic appendicitis. Among the conditions that mimic appendicitis are: • Meckel's diverticulitis.

A Meckel's diverticulum is a small outpouching of the small intestine, which usually is located in the right lower abdomen near the appendix. The diverticulum may become inflamed or even perforate (break open or rupture).

If inflamed and/or perforated, it usually appendix removed surgically. • Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The right Fallopian tube and ovary lie near the appendix.

Sexually active women may contract infectious diseases that involve the appendix and ovary. Usually, antibiotic therapy is sufficient treatment, and surgical removal of the tube and ovary are not necessary. • Inflammatory diseases of the right upper abdomen.

Fluids from the right upper abdomen may drain into the lower abdomen where they stimulate inflammation and mimic appendicitis. Such fluids may come from a perforated duodenal ulcer, gallbladder disease, or inflammatory diseases of the liver, for example, a liver abscess.

• Right-sided diverticulitis. Although most diverticuli are located on the left side of the colon, they occasionally occur on the right side. When a right-sided diverticulum ruptures, it can provoke inflammation that mimics appendicitis. • Kidney diseases. The right kidney is close enough to the appendix that inflammatory problems in the kidney-for example, an abscess-can mimic appendicitis.

• Ectopic pregnancy: Although it usually is easy to differentiate between a normal intrauterine pregnancy, if the fetus implants in the fallopian tube or elsewhere instead of the uterus, the symptoms may mimic appendicitis.

What is new about appendicitis? Recently, it has been hypothesized that some episodes of appendicitis-like appendix, especially recurrent symptoms, may be due to an increased sensitivity of the intestine and appendix from a prior episode of inflammation.

That is, the recurrent symptoms are not due to recurrent episodes of inflammation. Rather, prior inflammation has made the nerves of the intestines appendix appendix or the central nervous system that innervate them more sensitive to normal stimuli, that is, with stimuli other than inflammation. This will be a difficult, if not impossible, hypothesis to confirm. Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Abdominal pain can have many causes that range from mild to severe.

Some of these causes include bloating, gas, colitis, endometriosis, food poisoning, GERD, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), ovarian cysts, abdominal adhesions, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, appendix colitis, gallbladder disease, liver disease, and cancers.

Signs and symptoms appendix the more serious causes include dehydration, bloody appendix black tarry stools, severe abdominal pain, pain with no urination or painful urination. Treatment for abdominal pain depends upon the cause. • What's Causing Your Abdominal Pain? In general, abdominal pain, appendix may be in the lower left or right of your abdomen, is a symptom of many possible conditions including appendicitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, appendix, and others.

It may accompany constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms. Find out the potential causes of pain in the abdomen and learn when you should see a doctor.

• Appendectomy Appendectomy is the removal by surgery of the appendix, the small worm-like appendage of the colon (the large bowel).

An appendectomy is performed because of probable appendicitis, inflammation of the wall of the appendix generally associated with infection. • How Long Does It Take to Recover from An Appendectomy? Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. It is most often performed as an emergency surgery for appendicitis.

With a laparoscopic surgery, a patient is often able to resume normal activities in one to three weeks. An open surgery may require about two to four weeks for appendix.

With a ruptured appendix, it may take up to six weeks or more. • Appendicitis Slideshow What causes appendicitis? What causes a burst or ruptured appendix? Learn step-by-step what happens appendix laparoscopic appendectomy. Find appendectomy recovery time, early appendicitis warning signs, and what the appendix's functions are. Know the appendicitis symptoms like pain in the abdomen. • Appendicitis Quiz A CT scan is an X-ray procedure that combines many X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional and appendix images of internal organs and structures of the body.

A CT scan is a low-risk procedure. Contrast material may be injected into a vein or the spinal fluid to enhance the scan. • Cramps but No Period Having cramps but no period can occur because of conditions other than your monthly menstrual cycle. They may feel like period cramps of the lower abdomen when you are not due for your period and produce appendix blood.

These 12 diseases and conditions are examples of what can cause abdominal cramping when not on period. • Night Sweats Night sweats are severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. The causes of night sweats in most people are not serious, like menopause in women, sleep apnea, medications, alcohol withdrawal, and thyroid problems.

However, more serious diseases like cancer and HIV also can cause night sweats. Your doctor will treat your night sweats depending upon the cause.

You may appendix other signs and symptoms that are associated with night sweats, which depend upon the cause, but may include, shaking, and chills with a fever caused by an infection like the flu or pneumonia; unexplained weight loss due to lymphoma; women in perimenopause or menopause may also have vaginal dryness, mood swings, and hot flashes during the day; and low blood sugar in people with diabetes.

Other causes of night sweats include medications like NSAIDs (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), antidepressants, sildenafil (Viagra), and abuse of prescription or illegal drugs and drug withdrawal; hormone disorders like pheochromocytoma and carcinoid syndrome; idiopathic hyperhidrosis; infections like endocarditis, AIDs, and abscesses; alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal; drug abuse, addiction, and withdrawal; and stroke.

A doctor or other health care professional can treat your night sweats after the cause has been diagnosed. • Pelvic Pain Slideshow An appendectomy is the surgical removal of vermiform appendix, attached to the the colon (cecum). A laparoscopic appendix is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to appendix the appendix.

The patient will generally be able to return normal activities within one to three weeks. • Appendix Rate Sedimentation rate is a common blood test that is used to detect and monitor inflammation in the body. It is performed by measuring the rate at which red blood cells (RBCs) settle appendix a test tube. The sedimentation rate is simply how far the top of the RBC layer has fallen in one hour, increasing with more inflammation.

• Shock (Medical) Medical shock is a life-threatening medical condition. There are several types of medical shock, including: • septic shock, • anaphylactic shock, • cardiogenic shock, • hypovolemic shock, and • neurogenic shock. Causes of shock include: • heart attack, • heart failure, • heavy bleeding (internal and external), • infection, • anaphylaxis, • spinal cord injury, • severe burns, • chronic vomiting or • diarrhea. Low blood pressure is the key sign of sock. Treatment is dependant upon the type of shock.

• Why Am I So Gassy and Bloated? Bloating is a feeling that your abdomen is distended or larger than normal, but it does not necessarily mean that it is. Gas (flatulence) also can be a appendix if you are bloated. Common, less serious causes of bloating are eating too fast, too much, or too many fatty appendix swallowing air; pregnancy; and menstruation.

Cancer and IBD (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) are examples the more serious causes of bloating. Examples of foods and drinks that cause bloating are high fiber foods if you don't eat them regularly; eventually the bloating and gassiness will resolve if you eat them on a regular basis; fatty greasy foods, dairy products (for example, cheese, ice cream, milk, and yogurt); foods high in salt (for example, processed, frozen, and canned foods), and artificial sweeteners.

Some doctors and other health care professionals recommend natural remedies like chamomile or peppermint tea, or pumpkin to relieve bloating. Examples of OTC medicine (medicine available without a appendix and other products that may relieve bloating and gassiness are, Gas-X, Beano, Pepto Bismol, Metamucil, probiotics, and Ex-Lax for constipation associated with bloating.

If you have persistent or severe appendix and bloating, and if you have any of these symptoms see a doctor or other healthcare professional, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, bloody diarrhea, fever, or if you think you are or may be pregnant.
• Care at Mayo Clinic • Appointments • Locations • Patient & Visitor Guide • International Services • Medical Departments appendix Centers • Doctors & Medical Staff • Patient Online Services • Billing appendix Insurance • Clinical Trials • International Business Collaborations • About Mayo Clinic • Contact Us • Health Information Appendicitis The appendix is a narrow, finger-shaped appendix that projects out from the colon.

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus. Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a finger-shaped pouch that projects from your colon on the lower right side of your abdomen. Appendicitis causes pain in your lower right abdomen.

However, in most people, pain begins around the navel and then moves. As inflammation worsens, appendicitis pain typically increases and eventually becomes severe. Symptoms Signs and symptoms of appendicitis may include: • Sudden pain that begins on the right side of the lower abdomen • Sudden pain that begins around your navel and often shifts to your lower right abdomen • Pain that worsens if you cough, walk or make other jarring movements • Nausea and vomiting • Loss of appetite • Low-grade fever that may worsen as the illness progresses • Constipation appendix diarrhea • Abdominal bloating • Flatulence The site of your pain may vary, depending on your age and the position of your appendix.

When you're pregnant, the pain may seem to come from your upper abdomen because your appendix is higher during pregnancy. When to see a doctor Make an appointment with a doctor if you or your child has worrisome signs or symptoms. Severe abdominal pain requires immediate medical attention.

There appendix a problem with appendix submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic’s experts. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the appendix relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Causes A blockage in the lining of the appendix that results in infection is the likely cause of appendicitis.

The bacteria multiply rapidly, causing the appendix to become inflamed, swollen and filled with pus. If not treated promptly, the appendix can rupture. Complications Appendicitis can cause serious complications, such as: • A ruptured appendix. A rupture spreads infection throughout your abdomen (peritonitis).

Possibly life-threatening, this condition requires immediate surgery to remove the appendix and clean your abdominal cavity. • A pocket of pus that forms in the abdomen. If your appendix bursts, you may develop a pocket of infection (abscess). In most cases, a surgeon drains the abscess by placing a tube through your abdominal wall into the abscess. The tube is left in place for about two weeks, and you're given antibiotics to appendix the infection.

Once the infection is clear, you'll have surgery to remove the appendix. In some cases, the abscess is drained, and the appendix is removed immediately. • Appendicitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/appendicitis. Accessed May 4, 2021.

• Appendectomy: Surgical removal of the appendix. American Appendix of Surgeons. https://www.facs.org/education/patient-education/patient-resources/operations. Accessed May 4, 2021. • Martin RF. Acute appendicitis in adults: Clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 4, 2021. • Smink D, et al. Management of acute appendicitis in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 4, 2021. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

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All rights reserved. Front View of the Appendix The appendix sits at the junction of the small intestine and large intestine. It’s a thin tube about four inches long. Normally, the appendix sits appendix the lower right abdomen. The function of appendix appendix is unknown. One theory is that the appendix acts as a storehouse for good bacteria, “rebooting” the digestive system after diarrheal illnesses.

Other experts believe the appendix is appendix a useless remnant from our evolutionary past. Surgical removal of the appendix causes no observable appendix problems. Appendix Conditions • Appendicitis: For unclear reasons, the appendix often becomes inflamed, infected, and can rupture.

This causes severe pain in the right lower part of the belly, along with nausea and vomiting. • Tumors of the appendix: Carcinoid tumors secrete chemicals that cause periodic flushing, wheezing, and diarrhea. Epithelial tumors are growths in the appendix that can be benign or cancerous. Appendix tumors are rare. Appendix Tests • Medical examination: The original test for appendix, a simple examination appendix the belly remains important in making the diagnosis. Changes in the abdominal exam help doctors tell if appendicitis is progressing, as well.

• CT scan (computed tomography): A CT scanner uses X-rays and a computer appendix create detailed images. In appendix, CT scans can show the inflamed appendix, appendix whether it has ruptured. • Ultrasound: An ultrasound uses sound waves to detect signs of appendicitis, such as a swollen appendix. • Complete blood count (CBC): An increased number appendix white blood cells -- a sign of infection and inflammation -- are often seen on blood tests during appendicitis.

• Other imaging tests: When a rare tumor of the appendix is suspected, imaging exams may locate it. These include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and CT scans.

Appendix Treatment appendix Appendectomy: Surgery is appendix only treatment for appendicitis. The doctor may use the traditional technique (one large cut) or laparoscopy (several small cuts and using a camera to see inside).

Surgery is also appendix to remove tumors of the appendix. If the tumor is large, it may require more aggressive surgery with removal of part of the colon. • Antibiotics: While the diagnosis is in question, antibiotics treat any potential infection that might be causing the symptoms. In general, antibiotics alone cannot effectively treat appendicitis. SOURCES Netter F, Atlas of Human Appendix, 3 rd edition, Saunders, 2002. Young B, Wheater’s Functional Histology, 4 th edition, Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Randal Bollinger R, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2007; vol. 249: pp. 826-831. Wagner JM, JAMA, appendix vol. 276: pp. 1589-1594. Connor SJ, Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, 1998; vol. 41: pp. 75-80. The New England Journal of Medicine. https://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/317/27/1699 Emedicine: Carcinoid Tumor. Top Picks • What Are Prebiotics? • Common Constipation Treatments • Gastroparesis: What appendix Eat and What to Avoid • Newly Diagnosed With Crohn's?

Steps to Take • Restaurant Heartburn Triggers • Experimental Pill for Celiac Disease further reading • The Appendix (Human Anatomy): Appendix Picture, Definition, Function, Conditions, Appendix, and Treatments • Treatment for Appendicitis • Symptoms of Appendicitis • Appendicitis • Appendectomy Animation: See How an Appendix Is Removed • The Basics of Appendicitis • Abdominal Pain: What You Should Know • Appendicitis Topics Health Solutions • Penis Curved When Erect?

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Your appendix is a appendix pouch-like sac located on the lower right side appendix your abdomen.

An inflamed appendix is called appendicitis and will cause mild to severe right-sided abdominal pain. It is important to know appendix location of your appendix and the warning signs of appendicitis at it can quickly become a medical emergency.

An inflamed appendix can rupture and cause agonizing pain on the right side of your lower stomach. The position of the appendix is important in diagnosing the symptoms of appendicitis.

Even though most of the appendix pain will be on your right abdomen, appendicitis pain usually starts near your belly button. Along with the pain, other warning signs of appendicitis are nausea, vomiting, and a fever. Appendix treat appendicitis successfully, doctors have to surgically remove the appendix from your right stomach area. Advertisement In this article, you will find out how to locate your appendix and know its function in the body.

Also, you will learn about the warning signs of appendicitis and how to tell these apart from other causes of abdominal aches and pain. Where Is the Appendix Located? Your appendix is found on the lower right-hand side of your belly. It’s important to know that the appendix is located on the right side of your body above your waist as it can help you recognize the early signs of appendicitis.

For example, sometimes severe abdominal gas pains or indigestion can resemble appendicitis symptoms. According to Dr.

Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD, your appendix is about 3 ½ inches long. The position of the appendix is just where the large intestine meets the small intestine. This location is in the lower part of your right abdomen.

1 If you want to find exactly where your appendix is located, you can do the following: Appendix location diagram Another way to find the precise location of your appendix is to find the McBurney’s point. According to MedicineNet, the appendix location is referred to as the McBurney’s point. To find the appendix position, imagine a straight line from your navel to the right edge of your hip bone.

Your appendix should be about two-thirds in distance from your navel. 2 When diagnosing appendicitis, doctors will use the McBurney’s point and apply pressure to appendix location to check if the appendix is the cause of right-sided stomach pain.

The Function appendix the Appendix No one really knows what the appendix does in the body. However, one thing is certain, we can live without our appendix. Dr. Melissa Conrad Stöppler on MedicineNet explains that some theorize that the appendix has something to do with a child’s immune system.

However, in older children and adults it seems that it doesn’t have any function. 3 Another theory of the function of this small organ in your right abdomen is that it is connected to your digestive system.

Some doctors say that the appendix contains good bacteria that assist in recovery from gastrointestinal illnesses. 1 What Causes Appendicitis? There doesn’t seem to be any factors that increase or decrease a person’s risk of developing an inflamed appendix that causes abdominal pain. Dr. Mary Lowth on Patient.info says that a blockage in the appendix could be to blame for appendicitis. The appendix blockage could be caused by indigestible food, trapped seeds, or hard feces.

Or, the inflammation could be in response to an infection elsewhere in the body. 4 When the blockage prevents the appendix from draining, bacteria can overgrow and cause inflammation and pain in your lower abdomen.

Location of Appendix Pain One of the first painful signs that your appendix has become inflamed is abdominal pain that spreads to your lower right abdomen. The location of appendix pain can help to tell the symptoms apart from other reasons for stomach pain. Doctors from the National Health Service say that appendix pain usually starts in the middle of your abdomen.

At the start, appendix pain can feel like mild aches that come and go. However, very quickly the pain can spread to your lower right-hand side where your appendix is located. 5 The typical symptoms of appendix pain appendix relentless abdominal aching that you feel in the area between your navel and right hip bone.

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic explain that the buildup of bacteria causes the appendix to fill with pus and become inflamed. This will cause pain around the location of the appendix that gradually gets worse. Eventually the appendix ruptures. A ruptured appendix is a serious emergency and will cause pain to spread from your lower abdomen to the rest of your abdominal region.

6 To diagnose if the abdominal pain is a warning sign of appendicitis, doctors usually press on the area where the appendix is located.

They do this by exerting some pressure on your lower right abdomen and then quickly removing their hand. Coughing or walking can make appendicitis pain worse. Other Reasons for Right-Sided Appendix Pain Of course, there can be more reasons for abdominal pain in the area where your appendix is located. Dr. Charles Patrick Davis on MedicineNet says that some other causes of right-sided abdominal aching and discomfort are irritable bowel syndrome, gallbladder stones, Crohn’s disease, urinary tract infection, or kidney stones that cause right flank pain.

7 Some women also experience pain on the right side of their pelvis if they have an ovarian cyst or uterine fibroids. Appendicitis in Children and the Elderly Although anyone can develop symptoms of appendicitis, it seems to affect children and the elderly more. The World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics reported that inflamed and ruptured appendixes are common in persons up to the age of 20 years old. In children, the majority of cases of appendicitis occur between the ages of 3 and 5 years old.

8 The dangers of appendicitis in children is that appendix ruptures tend to happen sooner than in adults. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine report that parents should know the location appendix the appendix and also the early warning signs of appendicitis.

9 Many children who have appendicitis don’t show the usual appendix signs as adults do. For example, Johns Hopkins Medicine says that many kids don’t have nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite with appendicitis symptoms. Very often, the early symptoms of child appendicitis are high fever and pain in the lower right abdomen. 9 Regarding signs and symptoms of appendicitis in the elderly, the World Journal of Emergency Surgery says that ruptured appendixes occur more frequently in children than in adults.

10 Warning Signs of Appendicitis Knowing the location of your appendix can help to identify the warning signs of an inflamed appendix. Here are the most common warning signs appendix appendicitis. Belly button pain and appendicitis Although your appendix is in the right side of your abdomen, the first sign of appendicitis is usually pain around your belly button. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) report appendix appendicitis pain often starts off around your navel before spreading to your lower right abdomen.

11 Right-side stomach pain is a warning sign of appendicitis The most common warning sign of appendicitis is a mild to severe pain in the right side of your middle abdomen. Dr. Mary Lowth on Patient.info reports that appendix pain in your right appendix gradually gets worse in a 6 to 24-hour period.

Other symptoms of appendicitis will be tenderness and possibly shooting stomach pains appendix you cough. 4 Some people describe appendicitis pain as a very severe and an intense pain that they’ve never experienced before. Fever and appendicitis The buildup of bacteria in your appendix and the resulting infection will cause a fever in your body. According to the U.S. Department of Health, one of the usual symptom of appendix inflammation is a low-grade fever.

If your appendix bursts, then the fever will become higher as the infection spreads to your abdomen. 11 Nausea and vomiting along with appendicitis Most right-sided abdominal pain that is caused by appendicitis will result in nausea and vomiting. According to Dr. Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD, the discomfort caused by gastric upset will usually start around the same time as the abdominal pain.

1 Abnormal bowel movements Appendicitis will also upset your appendix system and result in abnormal bowel movements along with the pain.

According to the International Journal of General Medicine, constipation, diarrhea, and the inability to pass gas are all symptoms of appendicitis. 12 Urgent need to urinate Along with the warning appendix of appendicitis I already mentioned, along with the severe aches in your appendix abdomen, you might need to pee more often. The journal BMJ reports that pelvic pain and a frequent need to urinate happen in about 20% of appendicitis cases.

13 Other warning signs of an inflamed appendix Not all individuals with appendicitis will have all appendix common warning signs of an inflamed appendix. In fact, the appendix of the appendix in some people is not in its usual place.

Dr. Mary Lowth says people whose appendix is in a different position will feel abdominal pain associated with appendicitis in the right hip joint or in the lower pelvic area.

4 Some of the less common symptoms of appendicitis include: • Sudden pain in the right side of your abdominal region. • Mild abdominal pain that becomes excruciating only when the appendix perforates. • Deep aching appendix in your right abdomen that gradually gets worse.

With these less-typical appendicitis signs, you will still have nausea and vomiting along with a fever. How to Diagnose Symptoms of Appendicitis Doctors diagnose symptoms of appendicitis by pressing on the right abdomen and running some blood and urine tests.

It is important to get an accurate diagnosis of appendicitis as the inflammation can become a medical emergency. First, a doctor will push on the abdominal area where the appendix is located.

He or she will do this by pressing and then quickly releasing their hand. To confirm that your right-sided abdominal pain is caused by appendicitis, doctors may perform blood tests. They will check your white blood cell count to see if you have more white blood cells than normal in your bloodstream. This may appendix that you have immature granulocytes or an increase in the mean platelet volume (MPV) which usually show up in lab tests if you have appendicitis.

Additionally, you might have to give a urine sample to check for leukocytes and bacteria in urine. In some cases, you may have to go for a CT scan, an X-ray, or an ultrasound scan. Treatment for Appendicitis The only treatment appendix appendicitis is appendix remove the inflamed appendix with an appendectomy. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that an appendix is removed by making an incision in the abdomen where the appendix is located.

Appendectomies are carried out as an emergency procedure to remove appendix appendix before it ruptures and the infection spreads. 14 Unless the appendix is removed quickly, it can cause serious complications. Doctors from Johns Hopkins say that a burst appendix can cause peritonitis (inflammation of the tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen) which can be fatal in some cases.

15 Can Appendicitis be Prevented? There is no way to predict or prevent appendicitis. Most doctors agree that the reasons why the appendix becomes infected and inflamed are not fully understood. According to Dr. Mary Lowth on Patient.info, certain research into the causes of appendicitis point to a link with the Western diet.

Nutritionists agree that cutting out sugar and processed foods appendix increasing dietary fiber in a well-balanced diet can help to improve digestive health. This can also keep food moving through your digestive tract in a proper manner.

4 According to the University of Maryland, studies show that consuming more green vegetables and eating more tomatoes could help to reduce the risk of appendicitis. 16 However, there is no proven direct link between diet and appendicitis and no scientific research that has proven how to prevent appendicitis. When to See a Doctor for Pain in Your Lower Right Abdomen You should never ignore sharp pains or deep aching where your appendix is appendix as appendicitis can quickly become a serious medical condition.

Of course, you appendix never ignore any kind of abdominal pains that are constant and don’t go away. According to Dr.

John Cunha on eMedicineNet, you should call your doctor immediately if you have sudden, sharp abdominal pain on the right side of your body. If you have other symptoms like fever, nausea and/or vomiting, and the pain lasts for more than 4 hours, these could be warning signs of appendicitis. Read my other related articles: • Stomach Spasms: Causes and the Best Natural Treatments • Pain on Right Side: Causes, Treatments and When to See a Doctor • Lower Left Abdominal Pain – Causes and Possible Treatments Article Sources At Healthy and Natural World, our mission is to empower people to take control of their own appendix by providing comprehensive, practical and well researched information.

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