Traditional medicine

The appendix is a growth. Appendix

Appendicitis (appendix) - why is this oblong appendage of the cecum needed? It often becomes inflamed and threatens the health of children and people of reproductive age. Therefore, scientists for a long time considered it a rudiment, inherited by man from ancient times, when large amounts of fiber were consumed and additional bacteria were required to process roughage.

The appendix exists in the body to perform certain functions related to the production of E. coli and the functioning of defense mechanisms. After the role of the cecum in the human body was determined, doctors stopped removing it from all young children at the slightest suspicion of inflammation or for preventive purposes.

Modern medicine claims that people whose appendix was removed in childhood suffer from various diseases associated with low local immunity in the colon.

Oncologists believe that people with a removed appendix are more likely to develop malignant tumors in the digestive organs.

What is the appendix and why is it needed?

The appendix is an oblong appendage of the cecum that descends into the pelvic cavity. Its walls are covered with four membranes, no different from the mucous tissues found in the large intestine.

The process inside is covered with a lymphatic network containing nodules in which B-lymphocyte cells are formed. This type of lymphocyte is very important for immune processes. They, together with T cells, recognize pathogenic agents and destroy them, releasing various substances into the blood.

The appendix is an oblong appendage of the cecum that descends into the pelvic cavity.

The cecum supplies B lymphocytes to suppress the growth of pathogenic microflora that occurs in the lower sections of the intestine. Cells of the immune system enter into protective reactions, and this allows the body to maintain the normal functioning of the digestive system. Activated cells are transformed into plasmocides that synthesize antibodies, with the help of which the body’s response to secondary exposure to pathogenic agents is formed. An excess of B-lymphocytes with a lack of pathogenic microflora in the intestine becomes the cause of food allergic reactions, which is a problem in modern society, which consumes a large amount of preservatives.

The cecal appendage performs functions related to the formation of intestinal microflora. In normal condition, it is the place where beneficial E. coli, necessary for digestion processes, is cultivated. During the period of intestinal infections, when beneficial microflora is killed by toxins and poisons of pathogenic agents, the body has a reserve of beneficial microflora, which quickly restores the disturbed balance in the gastrointestinal tract.

A person after illnesses associated with digestive disorders is recommended to eat more plant foods. This promotes the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Why the appendix is needed was found out in the laboratory. This body:

produces rhythmic contractions to move feces through the colon;
releases lymphocytes;
produces antibodies;
produces sialic acid, which has bactericidal properties.

The mucous tissue of the cecal appendage contains the hormone melatonin, which regulates many physiological processes in the body. With its deficiency, a person begins to experience insomnia and a sharp aging of the body occurs.

Scientists have not fully figured out whether the active substances enter the appendix from other glands or whether the mucous tissues produce them independently. There is an assumption that this is a temporary storage facility necessary for the rapid delivery of biologically active substances to their destination.

The importance of this part of the intestine for immunity

The beneficial functions of the appendix are an indisputable fact. The accumulation of immune tissue in the lower intestine allows lymphocytes produced in the bone marrow to accumulate inside the cells of the appendix. The body needs this to regulate vital processes in the colon.

Scientists around the world call the vermiform appendix an important organ of the immune system, because it is the place where beneficial microflora multiply. It actively produces E. coli, which is necessary for the release of the following important substances from the food coma that enters the intestines:

fatty acids;
carbohydrates;
amino acids;
nucleic acids;
vitamin K;
B vitamins.

This useful element is necessary for humans to regulate water-salt metabolism. During the processing of food, E. coli releases murein, a complex peptide compound that stimulates the immune system.

People need the appendix even though it is not involved in the digestive process. This “factory” continuously supplies newly formed bacteria to the intestines whenever an intestinal infection destroys them. The process of growing new colonies occurs continuously as long as a person eats properly. It is necessary to include cabbage and greens in your daily diet so that the production of lymphoid cells in the body is not suppressed. Addiction to protein foods of animal or plant origin worsens the condition of the appendix and leads to its inflammation.

With properly organized nutrition, the lymphoid cells of the appendix are most viable. They restore the body after a course of chemotherapy and constantly support protective functions during treatment of cancer. Oncologists believe that the presence of a preserved appendix in the body allows one to expect a positive reaction after radioactive radiation or radiography.

Possible consequences of deletion

The appendix is often compared to the lymphoid tissue of the tonsils, which serve to locally protect organs from viral infection and the proliferation of opportunistic microflora. It cannot be removed unless there are medical indications for surgery.

In the first half of the twentieth century, doctors in some countries practiced removing the appendix in infants to prevent an acute inflammatory process. Subsequently, it was found that people who grew up without this organ were short of height, underweight, and often suffered from digestive problems. They had intestinal infections more often, and the recovery of intestinal microflora after illness was much slower.

Modern man endures the consequences of having the appendix of the cecum removed much more easily. He can compensate for the insufficient amount of beneficial bacteria, for which he periodically undergoes treatment with probiotics. But this possibility does not mean that the process can be removed without good reason. The body needs the appendix for the colon to function properly. It helps move stool forward, stimulating motility. Chronic appendicitis or the absence of an appendix is often the cause of the formation of fecal stones in children and the elderly.

In the absence of the appendix, the protective mechanisms are weakened, and when attacked by pathogenic agents, this is reflected in the condition of the large lymph nodes located in the groin. They greatly increase in size, become painful, and an inflammatory process may begin in them.

When the defense mechanisms are weakened, the infection affects the genitourinary system and other organs located in the pelvic cavity. This causes various diseases of the reproductive system in women and men.

A person needs to take care of the gastrointestinal tract to prevent inflammation of the appendix. To do this, it is recommended to lead a healthy lifestyle, include good quality food in the menu, and not clog the digestive system with coarse fiber. Neglect of the digestive tract leads to blockage of the passage into the appendix, and this causes dysfunction of the medulla oblongata appendage of the cecum, which becomes the beginning of an acute inflammatory process.

When experiencing pain in the lower right corner of the abdomen, we often think: what if there is an appendix? Many people know what appendicitis is, so when pain appears in the area where it is located, people immediately begin to cheat themselves and make false diagnoses. For the most part, our fears are not confirmed; such pain may be an echo of a common indigestion. It may also be a signal of a stomach infection. But it could also be appendicitis. Therefore, it is important to know its main symptoms and what causes them. But let's take things in order.

Appendix: what is it?

This is the name of the vermiform appendix of the rectum. Not all mammals have this formation; cats, for example, do not have it, but it is present in the body of humans, monkeys and rabbits. It carries out protective functions, is part of the immune system, in particular, restores the intestinal microflora.

The appendix is a kind of “nursery” for beneficial bacteria involved in digestion. Its role for the intestines is similar to that of the tonsils for the respiratory system. But for people who have undergone an appendectomy, in other words, removal of the appendix, it is more difficult to restore the microflora after infections than for those who have this organ.

Peritonitis

As you probably know, the disease described can be fatal. If you let the inflamed appendage go, it can rupture from the pus that overwhelms it. And all the contents will end up in the abdominal cavity, where irreversible inflammation can begin - peritonitis. Sometimes, unfortunately, medical errors are made, and a patient with a high fever and acute pain in the abdominal area is placed in the infectious diseases department, losing valuable time to determine the true cause of the pain. Therefore, it is better to describe to the doctor all the symptoms, even those that, in your opinion, are not too significant. It would also be useful to say directly that you suspect you have appendicitis.

Please note

You may not experience the main symptoms, but even high fever, vomiting or constipation may already be a sign of appendicitis. Sometimes, for example, with appendicitis there is no high temperature at all, only in children this indicator can rise high during any inflammatory process. You may also experience completely non-standard symptoms, such as: “grabs” in the lower back, a painful sensation in the genitourinary organs. This is due to the fact that the appendix is located near these areas of the body, and pain can radiate to them.

In infants, pregnant women, the elderly, organ transplant patients, obese patients, patients with diabetes, cancer, HIV infection, it is very difficult to determine this disease! Even ordinary fatigue may be a sign in these individuals. In older people, appendicitis can cause aggravation of chronic pathologies.

Conclusion

We looked at the symptoms of a disease such as appendicitis. You now know how to check for the presence of this pathology in men, women and children. The most important thing that we wanted to convey with this article is that do not ignore any disruptions in the functioning of your body, because they can be a signal of a serious illness.

Friends, today I want to answer one question sent to me by email. The man was interested in why the appendix was needed and why it was not removed before it became inflamed. Considering that at one time there was a version that it was a rudiment, that is, an appendage of the cecum that was unnecessary for the body.

I decided to include this issue in a separate publication, continuing the topic of the gastrointestinal tract. So, what is the appendix for? Is it a useless or still an important human organ?

What is appendicitis

Appendicitis, or inflammation of the appendix - the vermiform appendage of the cecum, is a rather serious problem and threatens to rupture if the operation is delayed. A rupture will lead to peritonitis - infection of the abdominal cavity, followed by the death of the patient, so appendicitis is not something to joke about.

For reference, I will say that until the beginning of the last century, operations to remove the inflamed appendix were not carried out, therefore, if a person had appendicitis, this meant inevitable death from peritonitis. This is how people lived all the years; if you are destined to die from a ruptured appendix, then no one will help. But now an appendectomy—removal of an inflamed appendix—is a fairly routine operation.

But then it became even more interesting, after the physiology and anatomy of the digestive system was studied in full, proposals began to arise in the medical community about the advisability of preventive removal of the appendix, so to speak, for prevention, so that it would not become inflamed in the future.

Functions of the appendix

At some point, they began to believe that this organ no longer performed any functions, that it remained only as a rudiment. Fortunately, it didn’t come to the point of wholesale removal, but in some countries there were attempts. Fortunately, they came to their senses in time, because later researchers found out that this small extension of the cecum is extremely important for strong immunity.

According to the observations of doctors, the protective forces of patients who underwent the procedure of appendix removal were significantly weaker, and the incidence of dysbacteriosis was significantly higher. Doctors also found that the microflora in people with a removed appendix recovers much more slowly after antibiotic therapy than in patients with an existing appendix.

I am now talking about such subtleties precisely because many of you ask me questions about the intestines. According to his work, dysbacteriosis is precisely one of the significant reasons for the breakdown of the system.

Also note that the appendix is involved in maintaining smooth muscle tone, improves peristalsis, and therefore affects stool consistency, reducing the risks of constipation and sluggish bowel movements.

Another important mission of the appendix is to be a depot for the symbiotic microflora of our intestines. It is from this farm that the necessary bacteria are resettled in the event of a significant loss of the population as a result of taking antibiotics, for example. Or long-term dysbacteriosis with diarrhea.

In the appendix, our body carefully grows bifidobacteria, which multiply on fiber that enters the cecum and settles there. Optimally - vegetable fiber, which is why it is recommended to introduce some raw vegetables into your diet in salads. You don’t need a lot, just a bowl at lunch is enough, otherwise, instead of benefit, we will get bloating and strong motility in the intestines.

Also, do not forget that in the appendix there is a large accumulation of lymphoid tissue, which ensures the outflow of the so-called dirty lymph, or sewage drains of our body. After all, all cells are living and the products of their vital activity are washed into the intestines with lymph.

Why does the appendix become inflamed?

To summarize the above, I note that there is no need to remove the appendix for prevention, and no one will simply remove it for you. The operation is indicated only in case of inflammation - appendicitis. But I will tell you in the near future how to recognize it in time, as well as what assistance should be provided to the patient upon the arrival of an ambulance.

One of the elements of the cecum, the appendix, is an important organ in the immune system of the gastrointestinal tract. It has individual features of the location of the right side of the abdominal cavity. Previously, doctors removed the appendage as unnecessary, but after this it was discovered that children’s mental abilities and immunity were deteriorating and such manipulations were stopped. The appendix regulates the intestinal microflora and helps destroy pathogenic organisms. When the appendix becomes inflamed, appendicitis is diagnosed, which is accompanied by severe pain and requires immediate excision. Self-medication and ignoring the disease are unacceptable.

The appendix is an intestinal atavism that does not play a special role in digestion, but is very dangerous when inflamed.

What is the appendix?

The vermiform appendix of the cecum in the intestine is the appendix. The process of the cecum is oblong in shape and is located on the posterolateral wall of the cecum. The dimensions of the human appendix are about 7-10 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter. It extends from the intestines to the pelvis. Appendicitis is located on the right side in the side, but the location options according to other organs in the body are individual. Inflammation of the appendix is called appendicitis. Over the period of human evolution, the anatomy of the appendix has changed. Previously, it was a functional organ of the digestive system.

Possible atypical location of the appendix. In this case, the symptoms of inflammation may differ from the main indicators. The area bordering the intestine consists of folds (mucosal cells). For many years, medicine considered the appendix an unnecessary and useless organ. Its meaning and role were not established, so it was removed. Inside the appendix there are many islands of lymphoid tissue, which is a component of the body's immune system.

Where is it located and its location options in the body?

The most common is the pelvic location of the appendix.

The vermiform appendix has a pelvic location. The location is the iliac region of the fossa on the right side. It happens that it is located in a different place: above or below the specified area. Rarely located in the abdominal cavity. Depending on the individual structural features of the body, the placement of the appendix in the patient is different. The topography of the appendix is shown in the table below.

The pelvic position is the most common, found in almost every second person. With pathology of the appendix in this position in women, the symptoms of the disease are confused with gynecological problems. Being in the retroperitoneal cavity, the appendix is difficult to examine.

Functions performed

The appendix of the rectum is a useful organ of the abdominal cavity. The main function is to help the immune system protect against negative microorganisms. Its functions are related to the digestive system and affect the mental abilities of children. If for some reason beneficial bacteria are washed out in the gastrointestinal tract, the function of restoring microflora is performed by the appendix together with the cecum. As a result, dysbacteriosis is prevented. Medicine differs in the concept of how much weight the intestinal appendix occupies and why it is needed, but it is precisely established that when the intestinal appendage is removed, the child’s rate of memorization of information and perception decreases and problems with the digestive system appear. This is due to the lack of necessary microorganisms produced by the appendix.

Diseases and their treatment

When the appendix becomes inflamed, nausea occurs and body temperature rises.

The appendix is an extension of the cecum that passes through the right side of the ileum and descends into the pelvis. Its length on average is 8 cm. Let us consider in more detail what functions the human appendix has and what this organ is generally intended for.

Structure

The diameter of the human appendix reaches 1 cm. It lays a canal along its entire length that opens into the very lumen of the cecum.

The structure of the appendix is the same for every person, although sometimes there are exceptions in the form of developmental pathologies.

There are such variants in the human body:

Descending (it is lowered into the pelvic area and is in line with the uterus and bladder).
Internal location (the organ is located at the level of intestinal loops).
Anterior location (in line with the abdominal wall).
External (the process is located on the right side of the abdominal cavity).
Renal (the process is located directly under the liver or near the gallbladder).

Functions of the appendix

Despite the apparent unimportance of the appendix at first glance, in fact it is not in vain that it is embedded in every body from birth. As scientists have found, this intestinal extension performs a protective function in the body.

The main “working” functions of the appendix are:

Neutralization of incoming toxins and bacteria in the body. Thanks to this, a person who is poisoned and intoxicated can recover much more easily and endure his condition. Those people who no longer have an appendix will have a longer recovery period.
Restoration of intestinal microflora. Thus, after suffering bacterial or infectious diseases, a person will recover faster.
Immune function is one of the most important functions performed by the appendix. It was found that in those children who had their appendix removed before the age of three, cases of colds, bactericidal and infectious diseases were recorded much more often. This can be explained by the fact that this appendage is, as it were, isolated from the negative influence of the intestinal microflora, which creates ideal conditions for the proliferation of “correct” bacteria that help the body cope with the disease. If the child no longer has an appendix, then, accordingly, the strength of his body will be much weaker. This will lead to frequent illnesses in the baby.
Due to the fact that this organ is vestigial (due to human physiological evolution, it has partially lost its original function), many argue that the appendix has no benefit at all. In fact, this is far from true, because in the human body there is not a single “extra” organ or system that it does not need. As evidence, after a number of studies, we can confidently say that the appendix definitely performs a hormonal function. Through its “work” it provokes the production of beneficial hormones that are directly involved in the functioning of the gastrointestinal system.
Due to the large number of lymphoid formations, the intestinal appendix performs an active protective function.
The secretory task of the process is to produce lipase.

For a long time (some people still think so) people believed that the appendix could become inflamed due to the ingestion of small undigested food particles (grains, seed husks, etc.). In fact, this is absolutely untrue, because the opening of this intestinal appendage itself is so small that it simply physiologically cannot retain food, much less become inflamed because of this.

Today it is already known that this intestinal extension does not directly participate in the process of digestion and processing of incoming food, although it is located in the intestine. Due to its isolation, the appendix is an “incubator” for supporting microflora bacteria. For this reason, it is much more difficult for people who do not have this organ to restore their microflora and digestion after taking antibiotics or other medications.
The appendix in some way “saves” the intestinal microflora, since it restrains E. coli and prevents it from becoming active. It is in it that healthy microflora is preserved. If you compare it with other organs, then in its functions (and appearance) it is similar to the tonsils, which protect the lungs.
The appendix reacts very sharply to inflammatory processes in the body, especially in the cecum. Thus, he is the first to “suffer” from problems in the intestines and.