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Appendicitis Center - Virginia Beach, VA

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Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. It is home to several state parks, several long-protected beach areas, three military bases, a number of large corporations, two universities, and numerous historic sites. Near the point where the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Cape Henry was the site of the first landing of the English colonists, who eventually settled in Jamestown, on April 26, 1607.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Beach)

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Appendicitis

What is the appendix?

The appendix is a closed-ended, narrow tube up to several inches in length that attaches to the cecum (the first part of the colon) like a worm. (The anatomical name for the appendix, vermiform appendix, means worm-like appendage.) The inner lining of the appendix produces a small amount of mucus that flows through the open center of the appendix and into the cecum. The wall of the appendix contains lymphatic tissue that is part of the immune system for making antibodies. Like the rest of the colon, the wall of the appendix also contains a layer of muscle, but the layer of muscle is poorly developed.

What is appendicitis and what causes appendicitis?

Appendicitis means 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 might swell and block the appendix. After the blockage occurs, bacteria which normally are found within the appendix 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 of the appendix. The cause of such a rupture is unclear, but it may relate to changes that occur in the lymphatic tissue, for example, inflammation, that lines 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 ...

Recommended Reading Related to Appendicitis

Night Sweats »

Introduction to night sweats

Doctors in primary care fields of medicine often hear their patients complain of night sweats as they are common. Night sweats refer to any excess sweating occurring during the night. However, if your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep - and this is normal. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.

In one study of 2267 patients visiting a primary care physician, 41% reported experiencing night sweats during the previous month, so the perception of excessive sweating at night is fairly common. It is important to note that flushing (a warmth and redness of the face or trunk) may also be hard t...

Emergency Contact for Virginia Beach

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Virginia Beach Hospitals *

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
1060 1st Colonial Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
(757)395-8000

Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center
1100 1st Colonial Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
(757)496-6000

Sentara Bayside Hospital
800 Independence Blvd
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757)363-6100

The Barry Robinson Center
443 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)455-6100

Sentara Leigh Hospital
830 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)261-6000

Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital
1309 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)461-5001

Chesapeake General Hospital
736 Battlefield Blvd N
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757)312-8121

Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center
150 Kingsley Ln
Norfolk, VA 23505
(757)889-5000

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughter
601 Children's Ln
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)668-7000

Harbour Pointe Medical Center & Rehabilitation Center
1005 Hampton Blvd
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)623-5602

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
600 Gresham Dr
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)388-3000

Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
3636 High St
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757)398-2200

Hampton VA Medical Center
100 Emancipation Dr
Hampton, VA 23667
(757)722-9961

Riverside Rehabilitation Institute
245 Chesapeake Ave
Newport News, VA 23607
(757)928-8000

Sentara CarePlex Hospital
3000 Coliseum Dr
Hampton, VA 23666
(757)736-1000

Riverside Behavioral Health Center
2244 Executive Dr
Hampton, VA 23666
(757)827-1001

Riverside Regional Medical Center
500 J Clyde Morris Blvd
Newport News, VA 23601
(757)594-2000

Sentara Obici Hospital
2800 Godwin Blvd
Suffolk, VA 23434
(757)934-4000

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