18 Jun 2017

Sadie (not real name) underwent the appendectomy operation last year. She says that she was addicted to eating clay since her childhood.

Prior to the diagnosis, she experienced frequent pains in the tummy, but ruled it out as nothing serious on the basis that many suffering from geophagy were going through the same challenge.  “I noted that pressing my tummy with fingers was very painful. I also felt an excruciating pain when I coughed,” explained Sadie.

She added that upon the visit to the doctor, she was diagnosed with appendicitis.

Despite the diagnostic and therapeutic advancement of medicine, appendicitis continues to be one of the common causes of surgical emergency.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information defines appendicitis as an acute inflammation of the vermiform appendix, typically resulting in abdominal pain, anorexia and abdominal tenderness.

According to consultant general surgeon at Bokamoso Private Hospital, Dr Lulseged Alemu, appendicitis may be caused by infection, blockage inside the appendix due to hardened stools and worms.

As a result of the blockage, the appendix becomes inflamed and infected. He says if the inflammation continues without treatment, the appendix can rupture. Dr Alemu further highlights that a ruptured appendix may cause a pus-filled pocket of infection to form, which results in the inflammation and infection of the abdominal cavity.

“In a woman, the ovaries and fallopian tubes may become infected, and the resulting scarring may block the fallopian tubes and cause infertility,’’ says Dr Alemu.

A ruptured appendix may also allow bacteria to infect the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening condition called sepsis.

Explaining it further, he said sepsis is a serious body-wide response to infection.

He added that sepsis can either be failure of an essential system in the body or inadequate blood flow to parts of the body due to infection. However, there are two types of appendicitis being acute and recurrent appendicitis.

He said that acute appendicitis needs to be attended to in the first few days because if it is not managed properly, it can develop into recurrent appendicitis. Moreover, in many people, particularly infants and children, the pain may be widespread rather than confined to the right lower portion of the abdomen.

In older people and pregnant women, the pain may be less severe and the abdomen may look less tender.

Dr Alemu said the overall risk of getting appendicitis in one’s life time is about seven per cent and that the disease occurs more in 10-19 years with males slightly more affected than females.

Appendicitis can be cured by surgery in early cases, antibiotics can be used but in those cases about a third come back with recurrence. “There is no known prevention measure for the disease, but the chance of getting it may be reduced by consuming foods high in fibre and practicing good hygiene,” he explains.

Dr Alemu also refuted allegations that the appendix is a useless organ. He said that recent studies have shown that the organ helps in the production of antibodies and it produces and protects useful bacteria in the digestive system. BOPA