Milford chronicle., 1960-01-22
Stomach Ache Doesn't
Mean Appendicitis
AP Newsfeatures

AP Newsfeatures
Whenever a child complains of
stomach ache, one of the first
things a mother thinks of is poss-
ible appendicitis. And although it
will probably turn out the acne is
caused by something else, the mo-
ther is correct in being concerned
about the appendix until she is
sure.
For a part of the body that has
no known useful function, the ap-
pendixs can cause great deal of
pain and trouble.
The appendix is a little pouch
that grows in the large intestine.
Most people go through life with
out appendicitis. When it does
cause trouble, it is because germs
get lodged in the appendix and be-
gin to form pus-much like the ear
ly formation of boil. 1t is gen.
orally believed that when the open
ing from the intestine to the ap-
pendix is small and tight there is
more likelihood that trouble may
develop. When the opening is wide,
material from the intestine flows in
and out freely. When it is tight a
germ that gets in cannot get out
easily and the germs multiply,
causing swelling, pain and trouble.
Runs i'm Families
Tendency to have trouble with
the appendix seems to run in fam
lilies. Probably this is due to the
inherited size of the opening from
the intestine to the appendix.
know one family in which all four
children had appendicitis before
the age of 6. The father of the fam
lily also had appendicitis in child
hood, as had his father.
Like a boil, an inflamed appen-
dix may rupture and spread the
pus all over the abdominal cavity.
This is called peritonitis. Perito-
nitis.is serious and it is the danger
of a ruptured appendix that makes
us concerned about an infiamed ap-
pendix.
The symptoms of appendicitis
vary. They depend upon how rap
idly the germs are growing, how
much swelling there is, and how
the appendix happens to be lying
in the abdomen.
Pain in the abdomen is almost
always present, and is apt to start
around the navel, later shifting to
the lower right side. 1t can be a
sharp acute pain, or it can be a
dull ache.
A child may vomit once or twice,
but prolonged vomiting is seldom
associated with appendicitis. The
bowels may be normal or consti-
pated. Diarrhea seldom goes with
appendicitis.
There may be a Slight fever
usually not more than 100 to 101.
On the other hand there may be no
fever at all.
Danger of Rupture
Abdominal pain caused by an
infamed appendix can subside by
itself. In this case, material in the
appendix manages to drain out in
to the intestine. But once the ap-
pendix has become infiamed, it is
likely to happen again, and always
there is the danger that it may
rupture.
The symptoms Of appendicitis, as
you can see, are quite different If
your child has a pain in the abdo-
men that lasts more than a couple
of hours, be sure to have him seen
by doctor.
Never give a laxative drug to a
child with pain in his abdomen. If
he should have an inflamed appen-
dix, the extra hard contractions of
the intestines that the drug causes
can be the thing that makes the ap-
pendix rupture. However, a small
enema is always safe.
Many times a doctor can tell for
sure whether or not the appendix
is infiamed, but there are times
when the best of doctors cannot be
sure. The doctor will want to have
blood count done. This helps him
in his decision, but the blood
count isn't a sure test either. Ii
only shows whether or not there is