What causes appendicitis? It turns out it’s caused by these three reasons

Appendicitis, also known as acute appendicitis, is one of the diseases with a relatively high incidence in daily life. It is particularly harmful to the human body. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the causes of appendicitis and prevent it. So what are the causes of appendicitis? In fact, there are three causes of appendicitis in daily life.

1. Obstruction The appendix is ​​a long and thin tube that communicates with the cecum at only one end. Once obstructed, secretions can accumulate in the lumen, increasing the internal pressure and compressing the appendix wall to block distal blood supply. On this basis, bacteria in the lumen invade the damaged mucosa, which is easy to cause infection. Some people have found that gangrenous appendicitis almost always has obstruction. Common causes of obstruction are: ① fecal stones, dry fecal masses, food debris, foreign bodies, ascaris, etc. that block the appendix cavity; ② The appendix wall has been damaged, causing stenosis or adhesion of the lumen; ③ The appendix mesentery is too short, resulting in a twisted appendix, which hinders the patency of the tube; ④ Hyperplasia or edema of the lymphoid tissue in the appendix wall causes the lumen to narrow; ⑤ There are lesions near the opening of the appendix in the cecum, such as inflammation, polyps, tuberculosis, tumors, etc., which compress the appendix opening and hinder emptying. Among them, fecal stone obstruction is the most common, accounting for about 1/3.

Obstruction is a common basic factor in the onset of acute appendicitis. Therefore, in the early stage of acute appendicitis, there is often colic under the xiphoid process or umbilicus. This is a symptom caused by obstruction of the appendix lumen and increased internal pressure. In addition, fecal stones obstructing the lumen can often be seen in the specimens of appendectomy, with obvious inflammation at the distal end and even gangrene and perforation.

2. Infection may occur without obstruction. The main factor is direct infection caused by bacteria in the appendix cavity. Because the appendix cavity is connected to the cecum, it has the same species and number of bacteria as the cecum cavity, mainly Escherichia coli and anaerobic bacteria. If the appendix mucosa is slightly damaged, bacteria invade the wall of the tube and cause varying degrees of infection. A small number of patients develop upper respiratory tract infection, so it is also believed that the infection can be transmitted to the appendix through the blood. Some infections start from purulent infections in adjacent organs and invade the appendix.

3. Other factors believed to be related to the onset of the disease include visceral nerve reflexes caused by gastrointestinal dysfunction (diarrhea, constipation, etc.), which lead to spasms of the appendix muscles and blood vessels. Once the normal intensity is exceeded, the appendix lumen stenosis, blood supply obstruction, mucosal damage, bacterial invasion and acute inflammation may occur. In addition, some people believe that the onset of acute appendicitis is related to dietary habits and genetics. The incidence rate is low in areas with high-fiber diets, which may be related to faster colon emptying and less constipation. Habitual use of laxatives due to constipation may cause congestion of the intestinal mucosa and may also affect the appendix. Some people believe that genetic factors are related to congenital malformations of the appendix. Excessive twisting, small lumen, excessive length and poor blood supply are all conditions that are prone to acute inflammation.