Appendicitis in children: Recognize symptoms for prompt treatment

Do you complain to you that you have pain in your lower right abdomen, accompanied by fever, nausea? Get your child to hospital right away as this could be a symptom of appendicitis in children.

Appendicitis can be life-threatening. Therefore, you need to know how to distinguish between common abdominal pain and appendicitis symptoms in children to have a timely treatment. So how to understand? The following sharing of aFamilyToday Health will help you better understand this dangerous disease.

Symptoms of appendicitis in children

Appendicitis has many symptoms. Therefore, you must carefully observe the child's symptoms to determine if the child is suffering from this disease. Symptoms can be:

1. The child has pain in the lower abdomen

The appendix is ​​located in the right abdomen, so the most common symptom is pain in the right lower abdomen. However, lower abdominal pain is not necessarily the symptom of appendicitis in children, there are some other diseases that also cause lower abdominal pain such as:

Food allergies

Swallow too much air

Anxiety, stress

Constipation.

These diseases are common and not dangerous. Sometimes lower abdominal pain can be caused by other serious problems such as:

Cancer causes dangerous tumors

Gallstones

Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel diseases

Urinary tract infections

Other health complications lead to intestinal obstruction.

2. The child has anorexia

If the child does not want to eat 1-2 meals, this is normal. However, this continues for many days, and even though you have cooked your child's favorite foods but they still do not want to eat, you should take your child to the doctor for examination.

3. The child has a fever

If your baby has a fever between 37 - 39 ° C, they may develop appendicitis. Usually, children have a fever when the body is infected. Also, when a child has an infection, the white blood cell count is usually higher than normal. Therefore, for diagnosis, the doctor usually relies on the number of white blood cells.

4. The child has nausea and vomiting

Frequent nausea and vomiting is not a good sign. If your child often wants to feel nauseous , see a doctor right away.

5. Children have pain when urinating

When a baby has pain in the lower abdomen, he or she may feel uncomfortable when urinating. This can be a symptom of appendicitis in children.

6. Children have diarrhea

This symptom usually appears after several days. If your child has persistent diarrhea , take him to hospital immediately.

7. Child is constipated

A common symptom of appendicitis in children is constipation . However, since constipation in children is so common, sometimes parents often don't think about getting appendicitis.

8. The child has difficulty breathing

Children with appendicitis often find it difficult to breathe. So, if your child complains to you about this symptom along with the symptoms above, you should pay more attention.

9. The child's abdomen is swollen

Abdominal swelling is another common symptom of appendicitis. Try touching the baby's stomach and watching to see if he feels pain.

Children 10-19 years old are more likely to get appendicitis. The main cause is due to a blocked appendix or an infection in the abdomen that moves in.

If your baby has frequent stomach cramps and the pain is often more severe when he moves, breathes, coughs or sneezes, he or she is likely to have it.

According to some studies, children 2-5 years old with appendicitis often have symptoms such as frequent vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain and fever. If your baby is under 2 years old, you should watch for symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea.

How is appendicitis diagnosed in children?

Each child may have different symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose appendicitis. Besides, the symptoms of appendicitis in children are very similar to other diseases such as:

Urinary tract infections

Kidney stones

Gastritis

Intestinal infection

Gastroenteritis

Gallbladder problems

Crohn's disease.

Usually, your doctor will use your hand to press on the lower right abdomen to check if your baby is in pain. After that, the doctor will ask some questions about the symptoms your child has been experiencing. If your baby has many of the typical symptoms of appendicitis, your doctor will determine immediately. If not, the doctor will ask you to have your child do some tests to determine if he or she has appendicitis. Some tests you can do are:

1. Blood test

Usually, this will be the first test a doctor recommends you give your baby as it is the easiest way to determine if your baby has an infection.

2. Urine test

This test is used to diagnose if your baby has a kidney or bladder infection. Certain proteins in the urine are considered indicators to help identify a child with appendicitis.

3. Abdominal ultrasound

4. MRI or CT scan

These tests give the doctor a better view of the appendix and see if it is inflamed. If it's too urgent and can't wait, the doctor will decide to have appendectomy right away to avoid other complications.

If you suspect your child has appendicitis, get them to the doctor right away. Do not give your child any antacids or laxatives. This can aggravate the problem and even rupture the appendix.

How to prevent appendicitis in children?

There's no way to 100% prevent appendicitis. However, doctors say that people who eat a lot of fresh, high-fiber fruits and vegetables are less likely to develop appendicitis. Eating more fiber will help soften the stools, making them less likely to get blocked in the appendix.

Treatment of appendicitis in children

1. Appendectomy

The most common treatment for determining the symptoms of appendicitis in children is surgical removal. If not treated in time, the appendix can rupture, leading to peritonitis, dangerous to the child's life. If the appendix abscess ruptures, the fluid and pus need to be treated immediately.

In young children, it is difficult to diagnose appendicitis. Meanwhile, the diagnosis in adults is quite easy. As a result, about 30% of children with appendicitis are usually treated when the appendix ruptures.

2. Antibiotics

When the appendix shows signs of inflammation, most doctors think that children should take antibiotics for treatment before thinking of resection. Therefore, after diagnosis, your baby will not have surgery after 6-8 weeks. However, recent studies show that children have a higher recovery rate than adults and do not experience many complications with appendectomy within 24 hours of diagnosis.

What happens after appendicitis surgery in children?

After undergoing surgery for appendicitis, your child will stay in the hospital for 12-24 hours if there are no complications. If the appendix ruptures, the baby has to stay in the hospital about 5-7 days. During that time, your child will have to take antibiotics and intravenous drugs to relieve the pain.

Initially, children can only eat liquid foods. After that, the doctor will allow the child to eat a number of other foods. Incisions made during surgery are covered with a bandage.

If digestion is normal, without fever, the baby will be discharged. You should take your child out of school for a few days. After the surgery, your baby's body will need time to rest. After about 2-4 weeks, your child can start participating in sports again.

There are a number of ways to help treat appendicitis at home

There are many ways to help treat appendicitis in children from the very beginning of symptoms:

1. Basil

If your child has a fever due to appendicitis, boil a little basil , then give it to your baby. This method will help your baby reduce fever.

2. Garlic

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces swelling and aids in the healing of appendicitis. You can make garlic tea for your baby by boiling a few cloves of garlic in water. Then, add a little honey to make it easier for the baby to drink.

3. Green beans

You wash the green beans and soak them in water overnight. Once absorbed, the green beans will swell and almost sprout. Children can be eaten raw by mixing with some other vegetables into a salad or steaming it. Eat green beans as soon as you have appendicitis symptoms. Green beans are nutritious and contain anti-inflammatory compounds. Sprouted beans can be stored for 4-5 days.

4. Carrot, beetroot and cucumber juice

You take 300ml of carrot juice mixed with 100ml of beetroot juice and cucumber juice, give the child 2 times / day to support the treatment of appendicitis.

5. Lemon juice with honey

Doctors believe that lemon juice and honey can prevent indigestion, one of the causes of appendicitis. Therefore, if children drink this water regularly it can help support the treatment of appendicitis in children.

6. Fresh fruits and vegetables are green

Constipation is one of the leading causes of appendicitis. You can prevent constipation by giving your child lots of fresh fruits and green vegetables. The high fiber content will help soften stools.

7. Water

The best way to prevent constipation and detoxify the body is to encourage children to drink plenty of fluids. This helps keep the appendix healthy.

8. Ginger root and turmeric

Ginger and turmeric both have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. So, if your child has appendicitis, give them this mixture to relieve the inflammation and associated pain.

9. Ginger candy

Children with appendicitis often experience nausea and vomiting. You can help relieve nausea symptoms with ginger. Ginger has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Give your child ginger candy every day. This way will be easier than giving your child a drink of ginger juice or a piece of ginger.

Above is a share about appendicitis symptoms in children. If symptoms are found early, it will be easier to treat the baby and the baby will not be in danger. Therefore, parents should not be too subjective, but be cautious if you see that your baby is uncomfortable.