Appendicitis Causes

The appendix is a vestigial organ that is present in the lower right region of the abdomen. It is a blunt ending sac that is present at the junction of the ileum and cecum. Inflammation of this vestigial organ can occur due to many causes, which leads to the painful condition called appendicitis. This inflammation, once it is triggered, does not have any cure and nor is there any way to reverse the damage done, hence, more often than not, it is a medical emergency. Given below are the appendicitis causes in children and adults.

Causes of Appendicitis

Obstruction
So, what causes appendicitis? One of the most common appendicitis causes is obstruction. The hollow center of the appendix is known as the lumen. Primary obstruction of this lumen is the first step that triggers off an attack of appendicitis. This is seen more often in people who have a diet that is high in fiber, as this fiber, which contributes to roughage, does not get digested in the stomach. Thus, it often gets lodged in areas like the lumen of the appendix.

When there is obstruction of the lumen, the lumen gets filled with mucus and it swells up. This increases the pressure within the lumen and also on the walls of the appendix, thus, causing occlusion of the surrounding blood and lymph vessels, causing thrombosis and stasis of blood and lymph flow in the region. At this point, it may be possible that these effects could get reversed, but this is very rare. However, as the pressure goes on building, there is progressive ischemia (local anemia) and necrosis (localized death) of the tissues of the appendix. Due to this, once there is necrosis of the tissue, the bacteria begins to leak out of the dead tissues and instigate a reaction which leads to accumulation of pus, thus, further increasing the pressure in this part of the abdomen and thus, causing the infamous appendicitis pain. This cascade of reactions eventually forms a vicious cycle which ends in the complete necrosis and death of the appendix tissues. If the pressure goes on increasing, then the appendix may even rupture or burst.

Infection
Sometimes, there may be an infection in the body which may eventually reach the appendix and cause appendicitis symptoms. This occurs if the body is in a state of sepsis and the infection in the blood causes an infection in the appendix as well. This however, eventually follows the same pattern as that seen in obstruction of the appendix, as the inflammation causes accumulation of pus in the appendix which eventually increases the pressure and causes pain.

Other Causes
There may even be other appendicitis causes which are relatively rare, like if there is trauma to the abdominal region, then there may be damage to the appendix, due to which it is at a higher risk of getting inflamed and infected. Sometimes, intestinal worms may instigate an inflammatory reaction in the appendix. Inflammation of the lymphatic channels, known as lymphadenitis, may also occur which could eventually cause inflammation of the appendix as well. There may even be cases where there may be calcified deposits, known as appendicoliths, which could form and lead to obstruction of the appendix.

Thus, these were the various appendicitis causes and symptoms accompanying these causes. Appendicitis is an emergency condition and more often than not, there is requirement of surgical intervention, in the form of appendicitis surgery. However, the pain is the most worrying factor when dealing with appendicitis, so if you are suffering from acute or chronic pain in the lower right region of the abdomen, it is best to visit a doctor and get the condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest.