Before we talk about the condition, for those of us who aren’t aware of the less likely used term Mesentery, let’s know what the term means. Mesentery holds the abdominal wall in place by attaching to it. Now, Mesenteric adenitis or Mesenteric lymphadenitis causes swelling of the lymph nodes in the mesentery. Mild in nature, the infection is easily cured without treatment in a few days. Here’s a rundown about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the same.
Mesenteric lymphadenitis Causes – The lymph nodes belong to the lympathic system and are spread across the body. These lymph nodes store lymphocytes or white blood cells that are the body’s soldiers against any attack in form of infections or more. Thus, lymph nodes are body protectors in a way. Whenever there is an attack like infection, the number of WBC’s in the lymph nodes increases resulting in painful swelling. Mesenteric adenitis could be either bacterial or viral or due to some sort of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or cancer.
Mesenteric lymphadenitis Signs and Symptoms – The early symptoms vary from simple cold or sore throat to upper respiratory infection or pain around the belly button and lower right side of the abdomen. Sometimes, this type of pain could be misinterpreted as appendicitis or ectopic pregnancy. Other common symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Diagnosis and Treatment – The pain that Mesenteric lymphadenitis causes is generally very mild in nature and hence does not require any sort of intervention.
Complications and more – In case the pain is severe in nature which could rarely happen, or if there is some irregularity in bowel movement, you are advised to seek medical consultation as soon as possible. Furthermore, if your infection lasts for a longer period which is not the case with Mesenteric lymphadenitis generally, it could be a severe bacterial infection, requiring immediate treatment. Any neglect in the matter could lead to it spreading through the bloodstream causing a life-threatening condition known as Sepsis. So, you need to be informed and take necessary action if the symptoms mentioned above persist.
Well, this is a condition not known to many people and generally gets healed without intervention but in cases where complications arise, medical help needs to be sought without fail
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