Your appendix is a tiny finger-like structure that dangles from where your colon meets your small intestines. To date, scientists do not really know the exact reasons why you have an appendix. However, one thing is for certain and that’s the appendix can become inflamed.
The inflammation of the appendix is referred to as appendicitis. Such is regarded as a medical emergency. An inflamed appendix has to be removed before it ruptures and launches bacteria in the abdomen. The process of surgically removing an inflamed appendix is called an appendectomy.
According to health authorities, appendicitis is the top reason why children undergo abdominal surgery. It is more common in people between 15 and 30 years of age. Based on statistics, appendicitis is seen more often in males than females.
There is no surefire way to keep your appendix from becoming inflamed and potentially putting your life in danger. However, there are certain things that you may do in order to attempt to lower your risk of suffering from it one day. Here are some of those that you may try:
Have Fruits
In order to fend off appendicitis, it’s important for you to also keep constipation at bay. That’s for the fact that being constipated can prevent the proper and effective removal of toxins and waste materials from the colon, thus increasing the odds of your appendix becoming infected.
One way to keep constipation from striking is by including plenty of fresh fruits in your everyday diet. Aside from appendicitis, such can also help lower your risk of other infections.
Eat Vegetables
Making sure that you add several servings of vegetables to your everyday meals is a fantastic idea, too. Just like fruits, vegetables are loaded with fiber that helps make sure anything that’s not supposed to stay in your gut for a long time is swept out of your body.
Certainly, fresh and organic vegetables are the ones highly recommended by the experts in the prevention of appendicitis as well as so many other health problems.
Drink Water
It’s not enough that you include fiber-rich foods in your diet on a regular basis. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is also a very important step to take in the prevention of constipation. Having enough water also helps keep your body from becoming dehydrated.
As a general rule of thumb, you should consume about 2 liters of water a day. You may also use the color of your pee as a gauge. If it’s dark yellow, you need to drink more water.
Exercise
Believe it or not, getting your regular dose of exercise may also help in lowering your risk of having appendicitis. That’s because it encourages the proper movement of toxins and waste materials along your gastrointestinal tract. So in other words, exercising helps fend off constipation.
Aside from appendicitis, there are so many other things that you may be able to dodge because of regular exercise. They include obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Reduce Stress
Because appendicitis is a form of infection, it makes perfect sense that you should strengthen your immune system in order to considerably lower your risk of encountering it one day. One of the things that can cause your immune system to weaken is high levels of stress.
Aside from dodging as many stressors as you can, you may also reduce your stress by engaging in stress-reducing activities like meditating, doing yoga, having a massage and taking a soothing bath.
Consume Vitamin C-Rich Foods
One more way to have your immune system strengthened and thus lower the possibility of you ending up with appendicitis is adding foods to your diet that are loaded with vitamin C. Dark green leafy vegetables and tropical and citrus fruits are some of the top sources of vitamin C.
It will also help a lot if you quit cigarette smoking, drink alcohol in moderation and get 7 to 9 hours of rejuvenating sleep every single night.
