Q. What are the causes of appendicitis?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Seconmedic Expert

Appendicitis is a painful inflammation of the appendix, which is located in the lower right side of your abdomen near your colon. Although the exact cause of appendicitis remains unknown, there are several theories as to what may trigger it.

The most common theory suggests that appendicitis occurs when something blocks part or all of the opening into your appendix. This can include stool or other tissue build up in the region, paralytic ileus (a condition in which nerves and muscles involved in normal digestion stop functioning), foreign objects such as pins and needles, abnormal growths such as cysts or tumors inside the appendix and even infections from bacteria like E. coli or salmonella that travel up into it from nearby organs.

Other potential causes include a weakened immune system due to an illness or disease; certain medications that suppress your body's natural defenses against infection; and surgery on other abdominal organs that might have caused scarring around the area leading to blockage and irritation. In rare cases heredity may play a role in causing familial recurrent appendicitis due to genetic mutations related to cellular process linked with inflammation responses.

Although anyone at any age can be affected by appendicitis, it is more commonly experienced by individuals aged 10-19 years old; males are more likely than females to suffer from this condition too . If you experience any symptoms associated with appendicitis - including severe pain around your navel (that moves over time) accompanied by fever, nausea/vomiting - you should seek medical help immediately since if left untreated it could potentially lead to complications like delirium tremens (rapid heartbeat), rupture/perforation of the appendix itself causing sepsis (blood poisoning) internal bleeding etc..

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