Peritonitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis, gastritis and sickle cell crisis are some of the medical conditions which involve rebound tenderness as one of their symptoms. Learn about them in this article.
Rebound tenderness refers to pain felt upon removal of pressure from the abdomen. Such a clinical sign is generally detected by the doctor during physical examination of the patient’s abdomen. Rebound tenderness mainly occurs when there is an aggravation of the parietal layer of the peritoneum. This is caused by either overstretching or moving of the body part in question. Go through the following account to get some useful information on each one of the underlying factors.
Rebound Tenderness Causes
There are certain medical conditions which may be the possible reasons behind rebound tenderness, in children as well as adults.
Peritonitis
Peritoneum is the tissue layer of cells which line the inner wall of the abdomen and pelvis. The condition of inflamed peritoneum is called peritonitis. It may be caused by microbial infection, trauma and bleeding, or diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, familial Mediterranean fever and porphyria.
Appendicitis
There is a small worm-like outgrowth from the first part of the large intestine. It is called appendix. The inflammation of the appendix is known as appendicitis. It mostly refers to the infection of the wall of the appendix by the causative bacteria. Appendicitis may progress to produce a pocket of pus, or abscess, and peritonitis.
Diverticulitis
There are small outpouchings along the wall of the large intestine. They are referred to as diverticula. Their inflammation is medically termed as diverticulitis. The chances of one’s getting affected with it increases with age. This is probably because of weakening of the walls of the large intestine which allows the formation of diverticula.
Pancreatitis
Pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped structure which is 6-inches long. It is located at the back of the abdomen. It produces pancreatic juices and hormones that includes insulin. The pancreatic juices contain many enzymes required for digestion of foods in the small intestine. Sometimes, the pancreas may get infected with bacteria. The condition of inflamed pancreas is termed as pancreatitis.
Gastritis
Gastritis is mainly the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. However, the term ‘gastritis’ is many a times used to cover a large number of problems resulting from the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The symptoms of gastritis are burning sensation and various other discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen. It’s chronic state is often found to be associated with peptic ulcers.
Sickle Cell Crisis
Sickle cell crisis is a medical condition which is marked by either a hemolytic crisis or vaso-occlusive crisis. Hemolytic crisis is the result of rapid destruction of large numbers of red blood cells. The rate of destruction is much faster than the rate of production of red blood cells by the body. Some of its symptoms are intense pain, anemia, chest pain, jaundice and abdominal pain.
Rebound Tenderness Diagnosis
The diagnosis of rebound tenderness begins with your physical examination. The physician applies a gentle pressure on the abdomen and then releases it suddenly. If you feel a sudden increase in the abdominal pain on lifting of the hands, rebound tenderness is suspected. In order to confirm the suspicion, he conducts a number of diagnostic tests. Some of such rebound tenderness tests are complete blood count, urinalysis, amylase/lipase test, blood urea nitrogen, liver function test, X-ray and ultrasound.
The treatment of rebound tenderness involves curing of the disease responsible for its occurrence. The medical treatment may or may not involve surgery. In case, you are hemodynamically unstable, you may have to undergo blood transfusion. Needless to say, following a healthy diet and leading a physically active life will help speed up the treatment. Here’s wishing you a healthy and disease-free life.
