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Appendicitis is the inflammation of your appendix and is considered to be a medical emergency that requires immediate care. Swift assessment and treatment can reduce the risk of complications that occur. In the US, appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgery. The exact cause of appendicitis isn’t always known, but often the cause can be an obstruction, from an infection, from feces, benign or malignant tumors, just to name a few. Once the appendix gets blocked, it becomes inflamed and then can be infected. Other potential causes of appendicitis include inflammatory bowel disease and other complications of IBS, trauma to the abdomen and other large tissue in the wall of the appendix caused by an infection in the GI track or even somewhere else in the body. There are no medically proven ways to prevent appendicitis. Anyone can get appendicitis, but it is more common amongst those 10 to 30 years old and most commonly in that group among teenagers. If appendicitis isn’t treated and the appendix ruptures, it may lead to complications such as peritonitis or an infection that spreads throughout your whole abdomen.
