Surgery is a word that can be scary for anyone. Surgeries can be painful no matter big or small. Doesn’t matter if someone is getting a heart bypass or is going for a minimally invasive procedure, the fear remains the same. 

Appendicitis – What the Trouble is About?

It’s not always necessary that people get surgeries for bigger troubles, sometimes minor issues such as appendicitis may also require surgical treatment. Putting up this recent example, my uncle was asked to get his appendix removed instantly after suffering from severe pain for days. He got his surgery done by the best laparoscopic surgeon in Lahore. Though the procedure was minimally invasive, still there was a lot of confusion and buzz. 

Even though the condition of appendicitis is quite common but remains poorly understood. The appendix is an organ present in the human body that was thought to be functionally active in our ancestors. The condition is usually not so problematic but inflammation of this smaller organ can be painful. Depending upon the extent of inflammation, the doctor may ask you to get your appendix surgically removed.

Common Myths about Appendix and Appendicitis

If you are looking to develop a clear understanding of the disease, here are some of the common misconceptions you need to make yourself clear about.

1- If you work out after eating then you might suffer from appendicitis 

This is merely a myth because no physical activity after eating can’t cause the problem of the appendix. The problem lies in the anatomy of the digestive system that defines how food moves across our digestive system once it enters through your mouth. The food first reaches your stomach and then it goes to your small intestine and then it travels to the large intestine. According to this, it takes a long time for food to reach your large intestine so there is little or no chance that working out after eating can cause the inflammation of the appendix.

2- The appendix is useless

The increasing cases of appendix removal make people think that the appendix is a useless organ but it has a functional role to play. However, the appendix can make you healthy by helping your body retain its bacterial balance. So, you shouldn’t take your appendix health for granted as this is not a useless organ and the problem can go beyond what you think of it. 

3- Consuming foods like tomatoes can cause appendicitis

Many people believe that consuming certain foods makes you develop the problem of appendicitis. The reason people consider the fact is that the seeds contained in these foods can enter into the appendix causing infection and inflammation. Though there is no solid evidence on how appendicitis is caused, it is hard to believe that tiny seeds of tomatoes, etc. can lead to appendicitis.

4- It only affects young adults and older people are relatively safe

Many people believe that the problem of appendix only affects people of young age and is less likely to affect the older ones. However, this is not a rule and older people are no exception to this. Since we don’t know about the exact cause of the problem and don’t exactly know what can lead to appendicitis, we can’t say age is a determining factor. 

5- Every pain in your abdominal region is because of appendicitis

Appendix pain is quite common but not every abdominal pain is due to the appendix. Further, appendix pain doesn’t come alone and is usually accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, nausea, and other associated symptoms. A thorough physical examination and abdominal scans are required to characterize it as appendicitis. 

Bottom Line!

Appendicitis is a common health problem that can affect people of all ages. The problem isn’t very dangerous and can usually be treated with surgical removal of the appendix. This isn’t very problematic because especially with the minimally invasive procedures. With the advancement of medical science, surgeries are no longer as problematic as they used to be.

Improved precision, directed surgical outcomes, advancement with anesthesia and even techniques like minimally invasive procedures have changed the world of surgery for good. The procedure isn’t very complicated and doesn’t require a long recovery time.