What causes an appendix to rupture?

Question

I went to the ER and they admitted me right away. The next day I was told that my appendix ruptured and that if i had waited one more day I would have been dead. They drained my appendix and they want to take it out in a few weeks, but I would not want it to rupture and go through that again befor they do.

Answer 1

Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. It is thought that appendicitis begins when the opening from the appendix into the cecum becomes blocked. The blockage may be due to a build-up of thick mucus within the appendix or to stool that enters the appendix from the cecum. The mucus or stool hardens, becomes rock-like, and blocks the opening. This rock is called a fecalith (literally, a rock of stool). At other times, the lymphatic tissue in the appendix may swell and block the appendix. Bacteria which normally are found within the appendix then begin to invade (infect) the wall of the appendix. The body responds to the invasion by mounting an attack on the bacteria, an attack called inflammation. (An alternative theory for the cause of appendicitis is an initial rupture of the appendix followed by spread of bacteria outside the appendix.. The cause of such a rupture is unclear, but it may relate to changes that occur in the lymphatic tissue that line the wall of the appendix.)

If the inflammation and infection spread through the wall of the appendix, the appendix can rupture. After rupture, infection can spread throughout the abdomen; however, it usually is confined to a small area surrounding the appendix (forming a peri-appendiceal abscess).

Sometimes, the body is successful in containing ("healing") the appendicitis without surgical treatment if the infection and accompanying inflammation do not spread throughout the abdomen. The inflammation, pain and symptoms may disappear. This is particularly true in elderly patients and when antibiotics are used. The patients then may come to the doctor long after the episode of appendicitis with a lump or a mass in the right lower abdomen that is due to the scarring that occurs during healing. This lump might raise the suspicion of cancer.

Answer 2

The appendix will rupture if it has become so swollen from infection that it just bursts. The appendix id a small little dead end off of your colon. You can imagine what goes past there on a hourly basis and if something happens to make a wrong turn there is no way to clean it out. So the bacteria there thrive until the body notices that something is wrong and sends in the white blood cells to attack. Thats where the swelling comes in.

You can die from blood poisoning if it ruptures.

Answer 3

Accoding to Internet FAQ Archive (2004) "The causes of appendicitis (the appendix rupturing) are not well understood. A number of factors are thought to be responsible for the disease. One is an obstruction (blocking) within the appendix. Another is the development of an ulceration (a sore) within the appendix. A third factor is a bacterial infection."

Answer 4

In most cases inflammation of the appendix is caused by a blockage of the opening of the appendix by a piece of stool. It may also be a reaction to infection in the digestive tract.

Answer 5

The appendix is an evolutionary remnant, it has no purpose in humans. Some of our predecessors had the ability to digest cellulose by having bacteria in their digestive system to break down the cellulose. The appendix is where these bacteria used to live

Answer 6

it was caused by infection. It built up and burst. If it already burst, and they drained the infection out, I don't think it can rupture again. They want to wait until the infection is cleared up before doing surgery.

Answer 7

An infection.

Answer 8

it5 causes for not eating well... it caused to me too! with my intestines burnt slightly for using more vinegar in pickles