Antibiotics may replace surgery for the treatment of appendicitis

While the possibility of a non-surgical treatment for appendicitis is good news for sufferers, it is crucial to spot the signs of this condition early on, so that it is not left untreated for long

The most common treatment for appendicitis, or the inflammation of your appendix, has so far been an open surgery or a laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery that removes the affected organ. However, there is a new ray of hope for the sufferers of this condition: It may soon find a cure in antibiotics. According to a 5-year clinical study known as the APPAC trial (APPendicitisACuta), conducted in Finland, patients treated with antibiotics for uncomplicated acute appendicitis did not require surgery during the one-year follow-up period. Uncomplicated appendicitis refers to those cases where the inflammation is mostly confined to the appendix and have no evidence of perforation or abscess formation.

Appendix is is the first part of the large intestine. It s an outpouching and is useful for animals who eat a lot of grass, such as cows. Due to its zero functionality in the human body, evolution has rendered appendix completely useless for us. When the mouth of the appendix is obstructed, the appendiceal secretions can t come out in the large intestine leading to an overgrowth of bacteria within the appendix. This leads to inflammation and results in appendicitis, says Dr Sudeep Khanna, senior consultant, gastroenterology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi. The risk of developing appendicitis is 8.6 to 9 per cent in men and around 7 per cent in women , he says. If left untreated, appendicitis can pose a real danger as it s potential to explode or perforate can spread infection throughout your abdomen. So, it is important to spot the crucial signs of this condition, early on.

THE CRUCIAL SIGNS OF APPENDICITIS

In the first 12-24 hours of appendix inflammation, most of the patients complain about mild pain around their naval region which gets localized to their right lower abdomen, just above the hip bone. With time, the pain gets more constant and reasonably severe in nature, indicating that you should go to the hospital , says Dr. Khanna. Here are some significant symptoms to look out for, apart from pain:

Constant urge to pee:

In some people, the appendix sits pretty close to the bladder. In such cases, inflammation in the appendix touches the bladder and irritates it. As a result, you may feel the constant urge to pee and will hurt when you urinate. Although these symptoms can point towards a UTI, the confusion gets ruled out when it appears with other appendicitis symptoms.

The feeling of nausea, and little or no appetite:

While it's common to feel this way when you are suffering from gastrointestinal problems or during your menstrual cycle, these may signal appendicitis when accompanied by pain. When your appendix gets affected, certain areas of the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system also get affected triggering the feeling of nausea.

Fever:

If these symptoms are accompanied by fever, then that's a sign of inflammation in the body. Consult your doctor immediately.

Disorientation and confusion:

If you find yourself disoriented, confused and find it difficult to focus, chances are your infection is heading towards your bloodstream. This can prove extremely fatal and can result in sepsis. In such a situation, irrespective of which condition you may get diagnosed with, just rush to the hospital.