In most cases, pain anywhere in the body can be explained as a symptom of some other problem, but sometimes, there is no reason for abdominal pain. This type of pain is known as chronic functional abdominal pain. This is a gastrointestinal disorder that cannot be explained through X-ray or laboratory findings. It can be triggered by altered sensitivity to nerve impulses in the brain and gut. People suffering from this condition are often so debilitated by the pain that it becomes the central focus of their life.

This condition cannot be cured, but with proper treatment, it can be managed so that it does not affect the quality of your life. The aim of treatment for this condition is to control the symptoms and improve functioning. When it comes to treating this condition, the patient s relationship with his or her doctor plays an important role as the condition cannot be proven through any form of testing and it has a great psychological effect on the person. Regular checkups are also a key to managing this condition effectively.

The first step towards achieving this is to identify possible emotional and situational triggers. Maintaining a journal that records these experiences can help with this. Further treatment is usually either through psychological treatment or antidepressants.

Psychological treatment is based on the understanding that the brain can block pain by diverting attention elsewhere. Nerve impulses that travel from the abdomen to the brain must pass through a type of  gate  that is controlled by nerve impulses generated by the brain. When these impulses close the gates, pain is blocked while when these gates are open, the pain can be magnified. Psychological treatment for chronic functional abdominal pain can be in the form of relaxation techniques, imagery, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. While relaxation techniques such as meditation and hypnosis help a person shift focus from the pain, cognitive behavioral therapy teaches a person how to change thoughts and perceptions in order to control the pain.

Antidepressants can also act as pain relievers. This form of medication stimulates the production of brain signals that close the  gates  of nerve transmissions. This blocks the pain but can take several weeks to be effective. Some people may experience side effects such as drowsiness and nausea and hence should never be taken without a doctor s supervision. In some cases, antidepressants may also be combined with cognitive behavioral therapy or medication to regulate bowels.

Ways to Treat Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain!

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the intestine and the rectum. It is located just above the anus. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis tend to have small ulcers in their rectum and the colon. These eventually flare up leading to diarrhea, bloody stools, anemia and abdominal pain. The inflammation starts from the rectum and eventually, spreads to the colon. Ulcerative Colitis tends to flare up and remit in an alternate phase. The remission can last from few weeks to few years.

Methods adopted to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis-
Ulcerative Colitis is very similar to an inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn s disease. The only differentiating factor is the fact that, ulcerative colitis affects the colon whereas, Crohn s disease affects the digestive system and the small intestine. A doctor might prescribe certain tests such as the colonoscopy, blood tests, CT scan, pill camera, stool sample tests etc.

Why is surgery necessary to treat Ulcerative Colitis?
An estimated 40 percent of all Ulcerative Colitis patients need to undergo surgery to recover completely. The reason surgery becomes necessary to treat ulcerative colitis are the following:

Drug therapy and medication become ineffective.
Without undergoing surgery, the condition might increase the risk of developing cancer.
The colon has the risk of getting ruptured if surgery is not performed on time.
There could be excessive bleeding.
Toxic megacolon might set in.
Types of surgery available to treat Ulcerative Colitis
A procedure where the entire colon is removed is known as the colectomy. In case both the colons are removed, the procedure is termed as proctocolectomy. In this procedure, an external pouch needed to be attached to the stoma that collects the stools. There is another method known as pouch surgery. 

Pelvic pouch or ileal pouch is also termed as IPAA. This procedure doesn t involve permanent stoma. In this procedure, both the colon and the rectum are eradicated from the body. The small intestine is then used to form a J-shaped pouch, that serves as the new rectum. The pouch is then connected to the anus. The whole procedure is done via two surgeries.

What are the surgical complications of this procedure?

There could be an excessive bowel movement.
There are instances where an inflammation of the pouch is observed. This condition is known as pouchitis.
There could be a situation of intestinal blockage from adhesion due to surgery.
There could be pouch failure that can happen inside within 5 few years. This is observed in 4 out of 100 patients who are treated. In this case, the patient should go for a permanent ileectomy.

Ulcerative Colitis - What You Need To Know?

As soon as one is released from hospital after going through an abdominal surgery, the patient must make a checklist and an early recovery strategy before leaving home. Do follow the following tips and recover soon.

Do make prior arrangements for a safe and comfortable journey back to home. Ensure that you have made transportation arrangements to go home safely. Use your own car or book any cab or take any friend s help. Place a cushion over your abdomen to keep it safe from jerks.

Do go for post-surgery checkup. Book an appointment with your surgeon post-surgery. This would ensure that surgery did not cause any side-effect.

Understand the schedule for taking medicines. Usually the patients are given painkillers. If you think you are not getting relief from it then ask your surgeon to prescribe you an alternative. Patients are likely to suffer from constipation post an abdominal surgery. If that happens, intake more fibrous food, fluids and indulge in light physical activities. Patients can also ask for cheaper alternative medicines.

Check for certain signs and symptoms and take adequate steps:

Take adequate sleep. There are chances that you may feel dizzy and fatigue, therefore one must observe change in sleep patterns. Have patience. Things will become normal in due course of time.

You will also be subjected to little pain from the incision. Take your medicines as directed in order to get an early relief from pain.

Draining of yellow color liquid from the incision in little quantities post the surgery is normal. If the drainage continues even after 7 to 14 days with redness around incision, it is a clear symptom of infection. Consult your surgeon immediately for the cure.

Removal of urinary catheter from the bladder may cause minor difficulties during urination. Situation will become normal in few days. If discomfort persists, consult your surgeon.

Identify the following dangerous symptoms and call your doctor right away.

Persistent vomiting or nausea

Incapability to digest food or fluids

Swelling in leg

Abnormal body temperature

Infection at the surgical site

Maintain a healthy and supervised lifestyle post surgery.

It will take few days to return to your normal routine life. So have patience until then.

Go for morning and evening walks. Avoid heavy exercises as such activities may cause physical strain.

Take care of your surgical incision

Surgical incision should be regularly cleaned or washed gently. Try to keep the surgical site dry until the stitches are removed.

After 5-7 days of surgery, the stitches would be removed by the surgeon. Avoid putting ointment on the stitches until then. It will take few weeks for the scars to fade.

Under proper care and supervision, the patient will soon recover post an abdominal surgery and will be able to get their life back on track.

Abdominal Surgery - Tips To Recover From It!

Appendicitis is a chronic or acute medical condition where the appendix gets inflamed and causes severe pain.  If left untreated, the condition can prove to be fatal. The appendix is a small tube-shaped sac at the end of the large intestine. In humans, it is typically not known to have any functional value although some studies suggest that it helps digestion by creating a conducive environment for friendly bacteria.

Surgical removal of the appendix is suggested as the most common treatment for the ailment. But homeopathy treatment for appendicitis issues is also available. One of the key causes of appendicitis is believed to be the partial or complete obstruction at the mouth of the appendix.

The common causes of obstruction include accumulation of fecal matter, worms, enlarged lymphoid follicles, trauma, or tumors. It is also possible that an infection in the stomach could have extended into the appendix.

Appendicitis can be treated with homeopathic medicine, it is commonly detected because of its progressive worsening pain in the stomach which narrows down to the lower right side of the abdomen is called Mc Burney point. Half of the patients though do not have this typical symptom and instead come in with a complaint of gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, or even a kidney stone.

Further blood tests, urine tests, and MRIs or ultrasounds are used to pinpoint the area causing the pain. In most cases of the advance appendix, surgical intervention is necessary. The type of surgery will vary on a case to case basis.



Homeopathic Treatment for Appendicitis Pain
Homeopathy remedies can be tried in the early stages and are especially useful to treat chronic and recurrent cases. It works with the principle of 'like cures like', which means that the elements that cause the problem are a key to its solution too. It employs a holistic healing methodology getting rid of the signs and symptoms and restoring complete health. While other treatments focus on curing the 'problem', homeopathy also deals with the basic reason for the Appendicitis problem and the individual's susceptibility to it.

Homeopathic Medicines for Appendicitis Symptoms
Arsenicum album: This homeopathic cure for appendicitis is used when appendicitis has resulted in sepsis and the patient also suffers from diarrhea.
Belladonna: This is an early stage remedy for cases where appendicitis is accompanied by headache, fever
Bryonia alba: This homeopathic remedy for appendicitis is very effective when the pain aggravates with movement. 
Colocynthis: In appendicitis homeopathy treatment this home remedy "Colocynthis" used when the patient experiences spasmodic or entwining pain, which worsens with indigestion. Applying warm pressure over the area helps in such cases.
Rhus Tox: This natural home remedy is also called the 'homeopathic knife' to treat appendicitis. It is used when the pain is constant and the patient is never free from pain.
To customize the selection of the homeopathic remedies according to your specific symptoms, it is best to consult with a practitioner.

Update From Lybrate: To keep your Gut Health on track and to avoid constipation and gastric troubles, We suggest you to buy Gut Care products available on Lybrate GooKart at affordable prices.

Homeopathy Treatment & Medicine for Appendicitis Pain

Measures to be taken before surgery for fast recovery from Abdominal Surgery.

Ancillary measures

Take regular walks several times daily to prevent blood clots and help the bowels moving.
Avoid climbing the stairs every day, at least for the first ten days. 
Avoid strenuous exercise such as lifting, carrying, pulling, or moving heavy objects (more than 5 pounds) until your surgeon advises as it may open the sutures due to pressure. Avoid lifting anything over a certain weight for at least six weeks after your operation.
Maintaining a good posture will help your wound heal correctly. Use a comfortable pillow while sitting to give rest to the operated site.
Take good sleep and proper rest for a quick recovery as most of the repair and healing occurs during sleep.
Avoid straining with bowel movements by eating a high-fiber diet or taking stool softeners to avoid constipation.
An abdominal binder can also help with the recovery process. These help keep everything in place and can decrease the possibility of a hernia.
A gradual return to work may be advised because sudden resume to work may cause opening of sutures and delay the process of healing.
Use table that easily wheels away from the bed but can also straddle the bed. This will allow you to read, use the computer, and eat without putting any pressure on your stomach or twisting around.
Cough and sneeze carefully by applying pressure to the incision with your hands or a pillow to avoid reopening of the surgical incision.
Improper dressing or not maintaining hygiene during dressing and keeping dressing unchanged for a longer period of time may lead to infection which may cause delayed healing. Thus, in order to prevent this a gentle wash with soap and water is required to avoid infection.
Dietary measures

A protein-rich diet should be consumed in order to hasten wound healing.
Have a liquid diet with lots of vitamins as vitamin C and zinc help with healing. Also, include B12 and Iron   as both aid bone marrow in forming new blood cells.
Intake of Fiber and probiotics help boost the immune system and also keeps your digestive tract moving along.
Have plenty of water-this will help the recovery process and removal of toxins from the body.
Try sitting in the sunlight as it will help with getting some extra Vitamin D.
Keep control over sugar levels if you are diabetic as increased levels of sugar in the blood helps bacteria to grow rapidly. This will further lead to infection and delay the process of healing.

Abdominal Surgery - Recovery Tips!

Gallbladder removal, termed as cholecystectomy, is regarded as one of the most commonly opted surgical procedures. Laparoscopic surgery for cholecystectomy is the process of removing the gallbladder with laparoscopic techniques. It is a minimally invasive surgery where the surgical procedures are performed with the assistance of different minute instruments and a video camera.

Advantages of Laparoscopic surgery for cholecystectomy
The most commendable reason why people favour laparoscopic surgery is that in place of having to undergo a five to seven-inch incision, this surgical process requires only four small incisions in the abdomen. Moreover, there is minimal post-operative pain and the patients are able to recover faster than patients who have undergone open gallbladder surgery. Most patients can go home the same day as the surgery and can have a quick return to day to day activity.

Determining whether you are a good candidate for laparoscopic surgery
Even though there are numerous benefits of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, the process may not be suitable for all candidates as it is generally not suggested for patients who suffer from severe and complicated gallbladder disease or have a history of undergoing upper abdominal surgery. A comprehensive medical evaluation by the physician and subsequent consultation with the surgeon is essential in determining whether a patient is a suitable candidate for laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder.

Undergoing the laparoscopic surgery for gallbladder removal
Once you are recommended to undergo laparoscopic gallbladder removal, your doctor will advise you certain preoperative measures that you must follow before the surgery. It is suggested to take a shower the night before the operation and not to eat anything from the night before the operation. Also, drugs such as anticoagulants, arthritis medicines, and Vitamin E medications must also be stopped temporarily for several weeks before the surgery.

The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. Therefore, the patient is asleep all through the process. The surgeon first inserts the cannula into the abdomen and then a laparoscope is connected to a specific camera through the cannula. Subsequently, other cannulas are also inserted which help the surgeon to separate the gallbladder from the attachments and then remove it completely through one of the apertures. Once the surgeon removes the gallbladder successfully, the small incisions are closed with dissolvable surgical tape or glue.

It is an overall safe procedure, and the rate of complications is much lower which makes it the most effective and popular treatment option.

Laparoscopic Surgery For Cholecystectomy - Who Should Go For It?

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