COVID-19 ceased to be the main cause of morbidity for Ecuadorians in 2022. During 2020 and 2021, the coronavirus led the list of diseases for which people go to hospitals in Ecuador, according to figures from the Ministry of Public Health (MSP). ).
However, last year the disease that most forced men to go to a hospital was appendicitis. 3,704 men attended a health home for this pathology. Meanwhile, in women it was the processes linked to pregnancy and maternity that topped the list. In the first place, there is the spontaneous single birth due to the cephalic vertex presentation (natural births).
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Rubén Alvarado underwent surgery for appendicitis in the middle of last year. He says that in his family it has become “regular” to have surgery for this ailment: “My dad and most of my cousins have had surgery for it. He was already touching me (laughs) ”. He indicates that it all started with a slight pain in the navel area that intensified over the hours.
Although appendicitis is an extremely common pathology not only in Ecuador but throughout the world, the function of the appendix remains unknown, says Paola García, a doctor.
“It is a vestigial organ, that is, it comes from our development, although its function is unknown. Its treatment or removal is not as complex unless an infection is found that perforates the appendix and here the picture becomes peritonitis, which is much more complex”, he affirms.
In second place is unspecified pneumonia as a disease that affects males. 3,145 men were treated for this cause in 2022. This type of pathology can occur on its own or after having had a cold or the flu. It can affect a part of the lung, a condition called lobar pneumonia, says Garcia.
“There is also hospital-acquired pneumonia and this is very common in patients admitted to areas such as intensive care. In addition, there is bacterial pneumonia. If it is detected in time it is perfectly treatable”, she says.
Then the inguinal hernia appears. This pathology occurs when a piece of tissue, such as a part of the intestine, pushes out through a weakened place in the abdominal muscles. The lump that occurs can be painful, especially when coughing, bending over, or lifting a heavy object. However, many hernias do not cause pain, states the Mayo Clinic.
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If the analysis of the diseases that most affect women is carried out without counting the processes linked to maternity, the pathologies that follow are appendicitis and gallstones.
Gallstones also affect men. Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen, just below the liver.
Teresa Ortega underwent surgery for these calculations at the end of 2022. She points out that she first felt intense pain in her right shoulder. She thought that she had hit herself when she exercised and took pain and inflammation pills, but the pain increased and then she passed to the right side of her abdomen.
“I already went to the doctor there because the pain did not happen to me with anything and I could not sit down. Then I thought it was something from my gastritis, but the studies determined the stones and they scheduled surgery to remove my gallbladder ”, she affirms.
2,844 people, both men and women, were treated in a hospital for gallstones in 2022.
Urinary tract infections is another of the diseases that affect Ecuadorians. Urinary tract infections are more common in women because the female urethra is shorter and closer to the rectum. This makes it easier for bacteria to enter the urinary tract, says Abigail Robles, a gynecologist.
“When treated promptly and correctly, lower urinary tract infections rarely have complications. But if left untreated, they can cause serious health problems. It can cause permanent kidney damage or sepsis, which even puts the patient’s life at risk, ”he indicates.
Although COVID-19 is no longer the main cause of Ecuadorian visits to hospitals, it is still on the list. In the case of men, it is in fourth place and in women it is in 16th place. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
