Causes of Appendicitis

Maybe you've gone through an experience where a friend or a loved one has had to deal with appendicitis. You wonder why they got it over you. So, you may type 'causes of appendicitis' in your search engine to see if you can get more answers about the condition. But the articles that talk about the causes of appendicitis may not give you much hope. This is because the medical community only has theories concerning the causes of appendicitis, not cold hard facts. And although these theories tend to be very accurate, they are not factual enough to help form preventive measures to avoid the disease in the first place. Yet, it still doesn't hurt to be aware of these theories, which is what this article will present. Through this article you will learn about the several supposed causes of appendicitis including: food obstruction, fecal obstruction, worms, mucous, swollen lymph glands, tumors and infection.

Food Obstruction
Usually food passes by the appendix with no issue, (despite the medical community not knowing why food is in this area). But sometimes, (at least in theory), food can get stuck in the appendix, preventing it from draining as it normally does. The blockage causes undesirable elements to build up in the appendix, resulting in appendicitis.

Fecal Obstruction
Fecal obstruction is thought to be one of the main causes of appendicitis. Usually, the fecal matter is very hard, just like it can be with a bad bout of constipation. It is believed that eating a fiber high in fiber and making sure your bowels are healthy can help lessen this particular cause of appendicitis.

Worms
When it comes to the causes of appendicitis in Westernized cultures, worms tend to not be the culprit, but they are in Third World cultures. The worms block the passageways of the appendix, resulting in inflammation.

Mucous
Sometimes too much mucous can be produced in the appendix. The mucous binds the cells within the appendix resulting in blockage.

Swollen Lymph Glands
Lymph glands that are in the walls of the appendix can become swollen, resulting in a possible cause of appendicitis. This is because they block the entryway of the appendix, preventing proper drainage from happening. As far as why the lymph glands get swollen, it is usually in relation to infection, such as the common cold or the flu.

Tumors
Of the causes of appendicitis, tumor growth tends to be rare but does happen. When it occurs the victims are usually the elderly. The tumors can start from within the appendix itself or they could've metastasized from other areas of the body.

Infection
Infection is believed to be the second most common cause of appendicitis, right under fecal obstruction. What happens is the bacteria invades the appendix, resulting in an entourage of white blood cells trying to attack it. When things are functioning normally, the white blood cells will win, and any by products produced will get drained out. But when they lose, they will die, resulting in a mixture of pus and the bacteria, which has grown even stronger.