16 Natural Ways to Recover from Appendicitis

According to the Cleveland Clinic, appendicitis is the most common reason for abdominal surgery in children. In fact, four out of every 1,000 children under the age of 14 require an appendectomy. Every year, 1 in every 500 people gets appendicitis and needs immediate medical attention. Luckily, there are natural ways to recover from appendicitis so you can live comfortably without it.

For an organ with no special purpose, appendicitis certainly causes its share of problems. About 300,000 appendectomy operations are performed annually. In fact, it is the most common emergency surgery. Symptoms of appendicitis should be taken seriously. Both children and adults need emergency medical attention immediately.

Postoperative period and its importance

Acute appendicitis (ICD-10 code, K-35) is a common disease. In some people, it does not become inflamed throughout their lives. Inflammation of the appendix is ​​treated with medication or surgery. After surgery to remove appendicitis, a long recovery is required, neglect of which is fraught with dangerous consequences.

During a hospital stay, care for a patient with appendicitis is provided by medical professionals. Home restoration requires a lot of effort as it is done on your own. If you follow the recommendations of a specialist, your body will return to normal faster and the wounds will heal. Failure to follow the rules after removal of the appendix can lead to separation of the external and internal sutures and complications. This is a reason to immediately go to the hospital. It is important to try not to move, so it is better to call an ambulance.

What is appendicitis, symptoms, causes, consequences

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendage of the cecum, also called the appendix. The disease begins spontaneously and develops rapidly.

The main symptoms include:

• increasing dull, nagging pain in the right hypochondrium, which can radiate down the abdomen;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increased body temperature above 38 degrees;
• weakness and lethargy.

Women with appendicitis have atypical symptoms that can be confused with exacerbation of various gynecological diseases.

The causes of the disease may be:

• infectious diseases;
• abdominal injuries;
• irregular bowel movements;
• eating sunflower seeds with husks, as well as berries and fruits with seeds.

The method of treatment is surgery.

If you delay a visit to the doctor, the disease can lead to the development of peritonitis, when the purulent contents of the appendix pour into the abdominal cavity. This condition poses a threat to the patient's life and can be fatal.

However, timely surgery is half the success. Proper recovery after appendectomy plays an equally important role. Balanced rehabilitation speeds up the healing process and helps the patient more quickly enter the usual rhythm of life.

How long does it take to recover from appendectomy?

As a rule, recovery from appendicitis lasts at least 0.5 months.
The recovery period depends on how successfully the operation was performed, what method was used, how the body responded to the intervention, and the severity of the situation. After removal of purulent or gangrenous appendicitis, especially one that has turned into peritonitis, the rehabilitation period is longer, since there is a need to combat the infection that has developed, which includes long-term use of antibacterial drugs.

Today, appendectomy is performed by laparoscopy or abdominal surgery. Laparoscopic intervention is possible if the organ is inflamed, but tissue rupture has not yet occurred. This easy surgical treatment option provides for recovery after removal of appendicitis within 2 weeks, less often 4. Abdominal surgery is more traumatic, so it may take six months for complete recovery. Only a doctor can say more precisely how much is needed for full recovery. Recovery for young children and adults with excessive body weight is more difficult and longer.

For what reasons is it necessary to endure the full period of rehabilitation after appendicitis?

The full recovery period must be maintained so that no complications arise. This is especially important if there were such complicated types of appendicitis as purulent, gangrenous, phlegmonous and others. Indeed, in this case, the body is seriously depleted both by the disease itself and by surgical intervention, anesthesia and other elements.

During physical activity, carrying heavy objects, a person has to strain the peritoneum. Namely, the abdominal cavity suffers to the maximum during the operation. And if you start exercising at the wrong time, there is a risk that the stitches will come apart or some other serious problems will appear, which will further delay the healing process.

Gangrenous appendicitis can also be quite dangerous, because... tissue death begins. And in this case, you have to be especially careful about physical activity.

First postoperative days

Rehabilitation after appendicitis begins with the end of surgery. The period until the day the patient is discharged is called postoperative. The first days of care for a patient after an appendectomy are provided by medical staff. After leaving anesthesia, the patient must strictly adhere to medical prescriptions. Anesthesia can affect a person in different ways, so vomiting, chills and other symptoms may occur.

Medical care

The first day, eating is prohibited. Drinking water during the first hours is not recommended. Since the right side hurts, you first need to lie only on your left side. After a day, the patient is allowed to get up, but if the operation was performed laparoscopically, they are helped to get up after 5-6 hours, and it is recommended to immediately walk a little. The incision is treated daily with antiseptic agents. In addition, it is necessary to take antibacterial drugs and other medications prescribed by the doctor. If the patient is concerned about constipation, he is given an enema.

During the first few days, the patient has an elevated body temperature. This is fine. But if the temperature lasts longer than 7 days, you should consult a doctor. It is necessary to monitor how long the right side of the abdomen and the incision site hurt. The abdomen around the wound should not hurt at all. After discharge, the patient is recommended to wear a bandage. The patient is discharged from the hospital 7–10 days after removal of the appendix, after removing the external sutures. This concludes the postoperative period after removal of appendicitis.

Throughout the patient’s stay in the hospital, doctors monitor the following procedures:

• control of physiological recovery parameters;
• detoxification (for example, if there was purulent appendicitis);
• monitoring the patient's condition and symptoms of complications;
• monitoring the condition of the suture (no bleeding).

Features of recovery after appendicitis include a number of restrictions on the usual lifestyle or bad habits.

Nutrition during the postoperative period

Diet after appendectomy is very important.

The second most popular question for a doctor after surgery is what can you eat? The patient will have to follow a diet for 14 days.

On the first day after the intervention, only drinking regimen is indicated. No solid foods. Non-carbonated mineral water or low-fat kefir are allowed.

On the second day you should start eating. This will allow you to quickly restore intestinal motility. Meals are fractional, in small portions - from 5 to 6 times a day. What to bring to the patient for lunch:

1. liquid porridge;
2. vegetable purees from non-fermentable vegetables;
3. fruit purees;
4. broths;
5. fermented milk products except sour cream;
6. pureed meat;
7. jelly;
8. compotes.

Read: Candidal esophagitis: symptoms and causes of the disease

On the fourth day, the diet expands. You can add dried bread, gradually introduce solid foods, herbs, baked apples, meat and fish. Fermented milk products in any form and quantity are indicated to normalize the microflora.

Subsequently, the patient returns to his usual diet. But any changes in diet should be agreed with your doctor.

Drinks allowed include rosehip decoction without restrictions, juices, weak tea, still mineral water and herbal infusions.

It is important to adhere to the standard drinking regimen.

Some questions

Rehabilitation after removal of appendicitis lasts from one to several months. This is a lot of work on the part of the patient. The patient should know how to behave during this period, whether there are contraindications, what recommendations make recovery easier and faster. It is important to know about the rules of hygiene, nutrition, physical activity and other procedures that the patient encounters daily.

Swimming, pool, sauna

Before the stitch is removed, doctors prohibit showering and swimming. Hygiene can be maintained by washing specific areas. It is better to wipe the abdomen with a wet sponge to prevent water from entering the wound. You should not take a bath or swim for 2 weeks after surgery. After the stitches are removed, you are allowed to shower. The swimming pool after appendicitis is allowed only after the wounds have completely healed, as you need to swim there. Such premature activity can cause wound dehiscence. It is recommended to visit the bathhouse no earlier than every month.

Tanning and solarium

For the first time after an appendectomy, it is not recommended to expose the wound to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation; therefore, it is forbidden to go to a solarium or to places where the scar will be exposed to the sun (for example, the beach). Later, you are allowed to sunbathe, but it should be taken into account that the tan will not be uniform, since the incision site must be covered.

Exercise therapy after appendix surgery will have a beneficial effect on overall health and postoperative recovery.

Physical activity

Prevention of most complications includes breathing exercises. Exercise therapy includes simple exercises that are first performed while lying on your back. It is recommended to do the exercises while still in the hospital and continue at home. Wearing a bandage is mandatory only for children and overweight people. This will help prevent the wound from spreading. Several weeks after discharge, if your condition allows, you should start walking. Walking is done at a slow pace. You should avoid playing sports until the scar is completely healed (hardening at the incision site). This requires more than one week. Usually, sports are allowed after one decade, but you can pump up your abs and lift weights no earlier than six months later.

Smoking after surgery

Cigarette lovers almost immediately after surgery are interested in the question of whether it is possible to smoke after appendicitis. Smoking has an extremely bad effect on the human body, especially on the respiratory system. After an appendectomy, smoking a cigarette can trigger laryngospasm. Based on this, it is strictly forbidden to smoke for 3 days after surgery. If the patient experiences peritonitis, smoking is not recommended for 7 days after surgery.

Intimate life

If the surgical intervention went well with uncomplicated appendicitis, it is recommended to observe sexual rest for 7 days. Sometimes it is allowed to have sex earlier, but subject to a passive position on the part of the patient, avoiding abdominal tension. A return to normal intimate life is allowed seven days after the threads are removed.

Diet food

Diet after leaving the hospital is extremely important. The symptoms that accompany recovery depend on what kind of nutrition you eat. Breaking your diet can cause negative consequences. Sometimes errors cause death. You are allowed to eat low-fat chicken or beef broths, rice, and drink fresh juices diluted with water. Rosehip decoction or herbal tea without sugar are useful. Later, porridge, slimy soups, sour milk, and lean meat are introduced into the diet. All harmful products are completely prohibited. Parents should ensure that children are not given sweets, as they irritate the intestines.

Treatment of appendicitis without surgery

Temperature two weeks after removal of appendicitis
Attempts at conservative expectant treatment may be justified in the development of appendicitis in patients with severe concomitant pathologies, in cases where surgical intervention may pose a threat to the patient's life.

Also, conservative therapy can be used for chronic inflammation of the appendix, appendiceal colic and quiet course of appendiceal infiltrate.

The appendiceal infiltrate is a conglomerate of organs and tissues adjacent to the appendix welded together as a result of the inflammatory process.

In most cases, this conglomerate includes tissues of the peritoneum, greater omentum, cecum and small intestine.

The development of appendicular infiltrate is a kind of protective reaction to inflammation in the abdominal cavity. The infiltrate helps limit inflammation and prevents the development of peritonitis for some time.

In most cases, the development of infiltrates is observed against the background of a phlegmonous-inflamed appendix, however, in some cases, a necrotic gangrenous appendix may be located in the center of inflammatory conglomerates.

Appendiceal infiltrates occur within a few days after the development of inflammation of the appendix. At the same time, the previously existing pain syndrome is significantly reduced, the general condition of the patient improves, and the temperature decreases slightly. On palpation of the abdomen there are no symptoms of peritoneal inflammation. However, when palpating the right iliac region (RIF), a dense, inactive tumor-like formation can be palpated. Palpation is not painful; as a rule, only discomfort is noted when pressing on the infiltrate.

The size of the tumor formation can vary significantly. In severe cases, the infiltrate can occupy the entire PPO. In the future, positive symptoms of Rovzing and Sitkovsky may appear.

The most reliable method for diagnosing appendiceal infiltrate is ultrasound, which makes it possible to clarify the size and structure of the formation.

The development of appendicular infiltrates can result in their resorption or the development of an abscess. Therefore, with a calm course of inflammation, with a low risk of abscess formation and a tendency for the infiltrate to resolve, laparoscopic removal of appendicitis is not performed.

Conservative treatment in this case consists of prescribing:

• strict bed rest;
• cold at PPO;
• light diet (only easily digestible foods that do not cause constipation or gas formation);
• antibacterial therapy.

Careful monitoring of the patient's condition is also carried out. If the development of an abscess is suspected, removal of appendicitis is indicated.

No-spa for appendicitis, like other antispasmodics, is not used. The only exception may be an attack of appendicular colic.

It should be noted that conservative treatment for resolving quiet infiltrate is temporary. Three to four months after the inflammatory process has completely subsided, planned removal of the appendix is ​​indicated.

What complications can there be?

Any operation is associated with risks and complications. Appendectomy may be accompanied by severe blood loss, which depends on the skill of the doctor. There may be breathing problems, especially if the right side or wound hurts a lot. This is due to the inability to breathe deeply, which can lead to hypoxia. Bloating and urinary retention due to the use of muscle relaxants can provoke urinary or intestinal paresis. There is a risk of developing thromboembolism, inflammation, and fistulas. Sometimes purulent-septic complications occur in the wound (with poor treatment). Postoperative treatment can cause diarrhea after appendicitis, which lasts up to a month.

Return to work

After discharge from the hospital due to the removal of appendicitis, the patient must contact the surgeon at the clinic at his place of residence to extend his sick leave. For this purpose, the doctor is provided with an extract from the medical institution.

The duration of sick leave after appendicitis depends on the method of surgical intervention and the speed of the person’s recovery.

Laparoscopic surgery involves a short period of rehabilitation - within 5-8 days. This period includes hospital stay and outpatient recovery after the intervention.

After abdominal surgery, you can open a certificate of incapacity for work for 10-14 days. If complications occur, the length of stay on sick leave increases significantly. In this case, the document is issued on the basis of the conclusion of a special commission, since this requires serious reasons.

It takes up to 4-6 weeks for a patient to fully recover after appendectomy. During this period, he must adhere to the doctor's recommendations. However, after the sick leave is closed, he can begin to work.

When can you start playing sports after appendicitis?

What form does appendicitis manifest in: symptoms in adults and diagnosis

Surgery for appendicitis: benefits and harms

Can a patient have appendicitis for a week?

Materials: https://prozhkt.ru/zabolevaniya/appendicit/skolko-lezhat-bolnice-appendicitom.html

Every person in life may have an operation in which appendicitis is removed. The postoperative period in this case is much more complicated than the process of removing the appendix itself. As a rule, patients are given strict recommendations and a special diet is prescribed.

Appendicitis: postoperative period

So, the patient is prescribed bed rest, he cannot walk for the first time, the maximum that is possible is to be in a semi-sitting position. Usually the patient is given a drip or 1 ml of morphine or pantopon solution is administered to relieve pain. If necessary, antibiotics are prescribed to prevent the infection from spreading. To stabilize the activity of the cardiovascular system, caffeine, cordiazole, or simply camphor oil are prescribed. The postoperative period after removal of appendicitis involves the introduction of a catheter and gas tube. A dropper of a five percent solution of table salt will not hurt. If the pain intensifies, novocaine blockade of the lower back is allowed. Patients often complain of constipation, but an enema can only be done on the sixth day. The recovery period lasts relatively short: after a week, with favorable development, the sutures can be removed.

Appendicitis: the postoperative period includes a strict diet

The few days after surgery are considered the most difficult and responsible. On the first day, doctors do not allow anything to eat or even drink. The next day, a small amount of still water is allowed. Proper nutrition over the next few weeks will ensure a speedy recovery and restoration of the body. The postoperative period after appendicitis presupposes the presence of a strict menu, including dishes with a liquid consistency, in particular porridges and chicken-based broths. Vegetable soups with carrots, beets, rice, and zucchini also have a beneficial effect. It is recommended to add fresh greens to food, as they help speed up metabolism. If the body normally accepts the products described above, then you can gradually introduce boiled lean meat, vegetables and fruits. Fermented milk products have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora. The problem of constipation can be solved by enriching your daily diet with fiber, for example by eating oatmeal or light vegetables. It is necessary to listen to the doctor’s opinion, as he makes recommendations based on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

Appendicitis: the postoperative period also includes a list of prohibited foods

So, absolutely all dishes should be prepared without salt, sugar and other spices. The use of specific foods that cause irritation of the mucous membrane is not allowed. These include the entire category of legumes, smoked meats, tomatoes and peppers, semi-finished products, harmful sauces such as mayonnaise and ketchup. In some situations, it is advised to give up dried fruits, fatty kefir or cottage cheese, and honey. Do not rush to switch to a nutritious diet; the body needs time to fully recover and function at its usual rhythm.

Types of surgery

The basis of treatment for inflammation of the appendix is ​​removal of the appendix. In most cases, appendicitis surgery is performed urgently.

Today, a laparoscopic technique is gaining popularity, when the inflamed appendix is ​​removed from the body through small holes in the anterior abdominal wall. All manipulations performed by the surgeon are controlled by a small camera, which is inserted into one of the holes.

When a doctor has difficulty diagnosing acute appendicitis, laparoscopy is used.

When performing appendicitis surgery, many specialists resort in their practice to classical appendectomy, when a cavity incision is made through which the appendix is ​​removed. To study in detail how appendicitis is removed, the technique and step-by-step actions of the surgeon, it is recommended to watch a video of the appendicitis operation.

Patients with acute appendicitis require minimal preparation. Immediately before the operation you should not eat or drink. It is necessary to remove hair from the pubis and anterior abdominal wall.

If after the operation there remains an appendage of more than 2 cm, then the development of chronic appendicitis is possible.