Telling the difference betweenappendicitisand kidney stones may sometimes be difficult.
Appendicitis is often an acute problem that results from aninflamedor diseased organ.
Kidney stones usually develop over time when crystals form and come together in your urinary tract.
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Yourkidneysare bean-shaped organs located just under yourrib cage, on either side of yourspine.
Your urine travels through tube-like muscles calledureters, which connect your kidneys to yourbladder.
When urine reaches your bladder, it remains there until you empty it by urinating.
Urine exits your body through yoururethra, a tube at the bottom of your bladder.
Kidney stones are hard, solid masses from the crystals of certain substances eliminated naturally in your urine.
Crystals form when your urine contains too much of a waste substance in too little liquid.
Stones develop as the crystals join together with other elements and form a solid mass.
If you have one kidney stone, you have a higher risk of having others simultaneously or later.
One kidney stone gives you a 50% risk of developing another in five to seven years.
This small, finger-shaped tube is part of the digestive system.
It is joined to your large intestine in the lower right of your abdomen.
Appendicitis is considered a medical emergency because it can quickly become serious.
When your appendix becomes blocked, bacterial overgrowth forms around the obstruction, resulting in inflammation and damaged tissue.
This raises the possibility of your appendix bursting.
Appendicitis is usually an acute condition.
It is usually treated with anappendectomy, a surgical procedure in which the appendix is removed.
For some people, the condition can be managed with antibiotics.
In rare cases, symptoms can come and go, causingchronic appendicitis.
Risk Factors for Appendicitis
Appendicitis can happen to anyone at any age.
It can be easy to mistakeappendix painforkidney pain.
Understanding how pain occurs with each condition can help you identify your problem and get the care you need.
Location
Appendicitis:Appendicitis pain usually happens around yourbelly buttonor mid-to-upper abdomen.
It often moves to theright lower part of your abdomen.
The pain may spread all over your abdomen if your appendix bursts.
It is likely to cause severe pain along your lower abdomen or groin.
Kidney stone back pain can occur on either side of your lower back.
Kidney stone pain can also happen along either side of your body, below your ribs.
A vague abdominal pain, persistent stomachache, or kidney stone bloating may also occur.
Severe pain can begin suddenly, waking you from sleep.
It may get worse when you cough or breathe deeply.
The pain may differ from any other abdominal pain you had.
You may not feel intense pain until the kidney stone has begun to pass through your urinary tract.
Research indicates that some women consider the pain of kidney stones comparable to childbirth.
In addition to comparable intensity, the pain may also occur in waves, similar to labor contractions.
If you think you have appendicitis or kidney stones, consult a healthcare provider as early as possible.
Kidney stones are called “the great mimicker.”
Appendicitis Recovery
Recovery varies based on thetreatment for appendicitis.
Antibiotics vs.
Both appendectomy andappendicitis treatment without surgerycomes with pros and cons.
IV therapy is followed by seven days of oral antibiotics administered at home.
Recuperation is faster with antibiotics.
However, the rate of recurrence for treatment with antibiotics is higher than for surgery.
Recovery from open surgery can take from two to four weeks.
After you recover from an appendectomy, there is virtually no risk of recurrence.
Rarely, patients may experience inflammation of theappendicealstump, the remnant portion of the appendix left after surgery.
Kidney Stone Treatment
Kidney stonetreatment depends on the stone’s underlying cause, size, and location.
Learning how to locate the cause of severe issues like appendicitis and kidney stones is not easy.
These and many other severe problems have many of the same symptoms despite varying causes.
Appendicitis is an acute problem that occurs because of an inflamed appendix.
A kidney stone is a chronic problem that starts when small masses form in your urinary tract.
The effect of this impacts how you pass urine.
Knowing when to seek care for these problems can prevent your symptoms from becoming severe and life-threatening.
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