Contents:
- Medical Video: Laparoscopic Appendectomy Surgery | Nucleus Health
- The most common causes of appendicitis
- 1. Blockage
- 2. Genetic factors
- 3. Virus infection
- 4. Low-fiber foods
Medical Video: Laparoscopic Appendectomy Surgery | Nucleus Health
The appendix (appendicitis) is an inflammation caused by a blockage in the appendix, a small tube-shaped structure that attaches to the beginning of the large intestine. Usually appendicitis does not have a specific function. But when the blockage breaks, appendicitis can endanger life. What are the causes of appendicitis that you need to know?
The most common causes of appendicitis
In many cases, the cause of appendicitis is not fully known. But inflammation can occur because it is triggered by various risk factors below:
1. Blockage
The most common risk factor for appendicitis is the blockage of the appendix. This blockage is usually caused by feces, foreign objects, or even cancer cells.
This blockage can then become a new home for bacteria to breed. This can eventually cause appendicitis to become inflamed, swollen, and filled with pus. This blockage can be partially or completely covering the appendix. If the blockage closes the entire appendix cavity, it needs surgery.
2. Genetic factors
Aside from being blocked by faeces or foreign matter, genetic factors also contribute to the emergence of acute appendicitis. As many as 56 percent of causes of appendicitis refer to genetic factors.
The risk of appendicitis in children who are at least bound to blood with one nuclear family member who has a history of appendicitis (active or has already been treated), has increased tenfold compared to children from families free of appendicitis.
The cause of acute appendicitis inherited by the family is reported to be related to the HLA system (human leukocyte antigen) and blood type. They also found that blood type A had a higher risk of having appendicitis than group O.
3. Virus infection
Dr. Edward Livingston, head of Endocrine GI Surgery at UT Southwestern, states that appendicitis may be caused by a viral infection that causes or an undetermined infection. These results are contained in a paper published in the January 2010 edition of the Archives of Surgery.
The researchers also found a tendency to increase cases of appendicitis during the summer. Even so, there is no definite causal relationship between these two factors
4. Low-fiber foods
Basically, food is not the cause of appendicitis. However, the blockage of the appendix which is then inflamed can occur due to a buildup of certain foods that are not destroyed when ingested. For example fast food, which is high in carbohydrates and low in fiber.
In a study of nearly two thousand children in Greece, it was detected that children who had appendicitis had lower fiber intake compared to healthy children.
In another case study conducted in the United States, it was found that children with more than enough fiber intake had a 30% lower risk of appendicitis compared to children who rarely ate fiber.
Appendicitis is most often caused by a buildup of hardened stool, a sign of constipation. Fiber can increase the weight and size of stool because it absorbs water, making it softer so that it is easier to pass through the anus. Hard stools can be a sign that you eat less fibrous foods.
