Growing up, there is a particular fruit called ''guava'', it was readily available in our area and a lot of hungry, excited children will readily hop on the tree to get one for their already-ready-to-eat stomach. There was a warning from parents and adults in the area telling us to avoid consuming the seed of this fruit as much as possible, as we were told that the seed of guava would cause appendicitis, the question about the possibility of guava seed alongside other fruit seed types causing appendicitis is what we will find out shortly through this article. Just in case, you are wondering what a guava is, below is a picture of guava you should try it, it's quite tasty. I don't know if it exists outside Nigeria, if you are non-Nigeria and it exists outside your country, kindly share in the comment section. ![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmdfnLC224qbpftw3bYUYSgMJAg2fuwpz8NVNxDr62kEoM/image.png) [wikimedia.org](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guava_ID.jpg) Yeah, so back to writing about appendicitis. >**Appendicitis** is defined as an inflammation of the inner lining of the vermiform appendix that spreads to its other parts. [1](https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/773895-overview#a1) There is a known world-class improvement in the medical field year in and year out, but the case of appendicitis, remains a serious clinical emergency, it is one of the most common causes of chronic abdominal pain. The appendix is an organ existing in the shape of a small tube and is attached to the large intestine. There are lots of theories about the function of the appendix in the body, some believe it is a storehouse for good bacteria, others believe it has a role to play in the functional ability of the mammalian mucosal immune function amongst other speculated theories, but in actual fact, especially based on several established scientific research, the appendix is one organ whose purpose is not clearly known yet, but one sure thing is, appendicitis is one very serious condition you do not want to happen to you or anyone you hold dearly because once the appendix gets inflamed or infected, there is a strong call for instant treatments. When an appendix is inflamed, it could cause seasonal pain which will go off and on, or it could possibly burst open at some point and cause severe, sudden pain. With a ruptured appendix, bacteria are spread all through the abdominal cavity, the bacteria could in some cases, trigger a very serious fatal infection called *peritonitis*. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Depiction_of_a_person_suffering_from_Appendicitis.png [wikimedia.org](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Depiction_of_a_person_suffering_from_Appendicitis.png) There is no age factor attached to appendicitis as it can happen to anyone regardless of age, even if it affects most people in their teens, it can happen even to children also. [2](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8095-appendicitis). The most common symptom of appendicitis according to [The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/appendicitis/symptoms-causes) The abdominal pain could get worse with movements like; sneezing, coughing and taking deep breaths. There are however other associated symptoms of appendicitis, which include; * Vomiting. * Nausea. * Constipation. * Low-grade fever. * Abdominal swelling. * Frequent urge to urinate and loss of appetite. * Constipation.[2](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8095-appendicitis) Appendicitis, occurs in two different stages; **Acute Appendicitis**: This is a more common form of appendicitis, which is a medical emergency that needs to be evaluated and treated as fast as possible, if left untreated, the appendix would rupture and this may result in a more serious complication. **Chronic Appendicitis**: This form of appendicitis is a less common one, it takes time to get diagnosed, it could take weeks, months, and even as long as years to diagnose the condition whilst pain persists in the patient. ### What actually causes appendicitis? Just like it is not clear, what the function of appendicitis is in the body, it is also not clear, particularly what brings about appendicitis as well. However, there are known triggers for the occurrence of the condition, those triggers include; * Growth at the appendix. * The presence of a digestive tract infection. * Abdominal injury. * The presence of a blockage at the available opening point where the appendix connects to the intestines. Quick treatment of appendicitis once discovered is extremely important, when left untreated, complications are usually the end results, some of the complications are; **Peritonitis**: This is a complicated case of appendicitis, where the appendix already gets ruptured and then, infection is released into the abdomen. Peritonitis is an infection and an inflammation of the peritoneum, the peritoneum is the membrane lining up the abdominal cavity and covering up the majority of the abdominal organs. When peritonitis happens, it has the ability to cease bowel movement and block it, the patient involved, would develop a fever and go into shock, at this point an urgent medical treatment is required. **Abscess**: This complication occurs as a result of an infection seeping out of the appendix and getting mixed with intestinal contents, creating a form of an abscess. **Sepsis**:Bacteria from an already ruptured appendix can enter into the bloodstream, resulting in sepsis. Sepsis creates a widespread inflammation in different parts of the human organ. * Infection during surgery. * Bowel obstruction. * Ileus- A situation where the bowel fails to function appropriately. * Fistula- An abnormal connection formed between the stomach and the intestine. [3](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158806#contacting-a-doctor) Whenever I am reading about medical conditions, I am always eager to know if there is an available treatment option or not. The good thing is, there are treatment options for appendicitis, and we should run through them quickly. Surgery is usually, the most sort after option for appendicitis, which is usually a successful procedure, as the diseased appendix is taken out. In a case where a rupture has not happened yet, surgery is done to prevent the rupture and stop the infection from spreading. Right before a surgical procedure, intravenous antibiotics are given to treat infection, for some cases of appendicitis, antibiotics alone would handle it, doctors would give a close examination to determine if there is still a need for surgery after medications. Usually, after successful surgery, there is usually no observed difference since the appendix does not really have any known importance to the body in the first instance, some people who undergo laparoscopic surgery usually go back home within 24 hours and even get back to their usual lifestyle after 2-3 weeks of stress. If the appendix was ruptured, however, antibiotics may be required to completely clear out the infection, and the recovery stage may take as long as six weeks. [2](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8095-appendicitis) So, actually, fruit seeds like guava may not necessarily cause appendicitis, it may just be a random myth after all, and we never can tell, it may be true, so I also plan to tell my kids not to swallow fruit seeds, (let the myth continue). ### Conclusion. Appendicitis can be a quite serious medical condition, once any of these symptoms are noticed, medical help has to be sought very fast, this is because having a ruptured appendix could be very dangerous. ### References. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/773895-overview#a1 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8095-appendicitis https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158806#contacting-a-doctor https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320321#complications https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/appendicitis/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/appendicitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369543 https://www.healthline.com/health/appendicitis#symptoms ![Snapchat-1340420437.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/oluwatobiloba/23xeYvmqrEyjZGxCkE2CwoBnyCb3VuLgkG6xwXakqWjepZv1KTdsg8urfMT1yhZjsev4S.jpg) _____ ______ Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. 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RE: LeoThread 2024-03-30 07:03