To Avoid Appendicitis
Dear Doctor,
I like the good work you are doing.I would like to know what a person
should eat and what not to eat to avoid the risk of appendicitis? Also,
how does one avoid the draw back of gas and this bittery liquid in the
throat?
Thanks
Godson Ekejiuba, Afikpo

Dear Godson,
Most doctors will tell you -- and truthfully too -- that there is really no way to prevent appendicitis. (It's not contagious so you don't have to run away from those who have it). But I'll pass the same message across this way ---There are only three ways to prevent an appendicitis-- the first is to have surgery to remove your appendix totally so that it cannot even become inflamed in the first place -- and that happens more times than you or we doctors think -- I'll explain in a minute; the second way is to eat foods that are high in fiber content --lots of vegetables and roughage (now this also needs some explanations because some doctors will argue with you on that point. But more about that later). The third
way is to know so much and be aware of the warning signs of appendicitis that you get very early treatment and miss the necessary surgery and/or complications of the disease.
Okay. Let's start with the last
I'll list some seven(7) clinical features of an inflamed appendix (appendicitis). a)abdominal pain beginning around the center of the belly near the navel or belly button. b)This abdominal pain now shifting or shifted to the right lower quarter or quadrant of the belly, c) fever(hotness of the body) -- high or mild, d)loss of appetite or anorexia, e)the feeling to vomit --we also call this nausea, f) vomiting itself, f)constipation or diarrhea, g)a high white blood cell or leukocyte
count. If we were to summarize, we'd say serious abdominal pain in a child or young adult(usually ages 10 to 30) who refuses to eat or is vomiting and is having a fever must be considered to be appendicitis until proven otherwise.
Which brings us to the first point I was going to clarify. You see, 20 to 30 % of appendicitis cases are later discovered --after surgery--which, by the way is the only acceptable treatment for appendicitis --
not herbs; no alternatives/medicinals/homeopathy etc here (else the appendix will rupture causing death-dealing peritonitis - -and one will have only oneself to blame -- God forbid); 20 to 30 % appendectomies are later discovered to be missed diagnoses -- not necessary but were done because the
doctor missed the diagnosis -- it can be difficult to diagnose -- and went in for the only treatment known to man which is immediate surgery. Now while operating the doctor discovers that the appendix was not sick or inflamed after all and then did the next best thing -- removed the appendix -- since he has already opened the abdomen any way--and closed the patient up in the happy knowledge that this
particular patient can never have the problem of appendicitis again -- ever. Reason? His appendix has been removed as a preventive measure. You see what I mean? I can hear someone asking; "But this missing the diagnosis and operating -- when the patient didn't need the operation? Is that good enough?" The answer to that is, yes it is -- first the diagnosis can be difficult sometimes; yet the doctor must make up his mind since immediate surgery (so that ruptured appendix will not kill the patient) is the only treatment for appendicitis and it is better to operate and be proved wrong than not to operate; find out that you were indeed wrong and the patient now dies because you were foolish enough to postpone operation. In
any case, the appendix can be removed at will and it was once a fad in Europe some 200 to 300 years ago for the rich and high society people to do the surgery as a status symbol --simply because this
structure called the appendix -- found at the tail end of the small intestine where it joins with the large intestine or colon -- has been certified by human biologists to have absolutely no function in the body.
So it would not seem to matter whether you had an appendix or not -- whether you had removed it for fashion or it was still in your belly!!!
Eating food high in fiber (plant matter that is not digestible by the human gut -- and thus must be passed out as stool, thereby adding to the bulk of the feces) has not been medically proven to prevent appendicitis; but right on the other hand, it has been found out that those who eat such foods have a lower incidence of the disease. So, some doctors recommend it while other more cautious ones say they don't know. In summary, learn to recognize appendicitis early, eat much fiber and ask doctors useful questions such as this one. Gassing and bringing up bitter liquid --swallowed food that has gone beyond the stomach to the duodenum where bitter bile acids are added to it -- after eating-- is usually caused by Indigestion. Another common cause is Reflux Esophagitis. See a good doctor/internist/gastroenterologist.
Cheers