The appendix is a small, tube-shaped organ attached to the bottom of the large intestine. It is located near the beginning of the large intestine, and is in contact with the small intestine.
Appendicitis is a condition where the appendix becomes inflamed and fills with pus, which is a mixture of dead cells, bacteria, and other debris from the inflammation caused by an infection. If the appendix does not rupture (or “burst”) it continues to grow larger, and when it ruptures, it leaks the infected material into the abdomen, and can cause a severe and potentially fatal infection.
Since there is no known risk factor that determines who will develop appendicitis, being able to identify the symptoms of appendicitis is the best method of identifying appendicitis. The first symptom experienced by individuals developing appendicitis is usually a pain in the middle of the abdomen, around the navel (belly button).
The location of the pain then moves over time, usually between 12-24 hours after the onset of pain to the lower right portion of the abdomen and specifically to the area known as McBurney’s Point, which is approximately one inch to the right and below the navel.
This abdominal pain is commonly confused with many other conditions that affect the abdomen, such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); Gastroenteritis; Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs); Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) – an infection of a woman’s reproductive system; Constipation; Food Poisoning; Kidney Stones; Intestinal Obstruction.
Identifying the other symptoms of appendicitis is necessary to help determine if you have appendicitis.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Appendicitis:
When someone develops appendicitis they usually feel a number of different symptoms in addition to the abdominal pain. Some of these symptoms include:
Decreased appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Low-grade fever
Difficulty passing gas or having a bowel movement
Swollen abdomen
Constipation/Diarrhea
Additionally, once someone develops appendicitis the pain in their abdomen increases with each episode of movement, breathing deeply, coughing or sneezing. The lower right abdomen will be sore to the touch and will become even sorer if a healthcare provider puts pressure on the area and releases it quickly (this is called rebound tenderness).
How Appendicitis Affects Children: Signs and Symptoms:
Although most people with appendicitis develop typical symptoms of appendicitis, some people with appendicitis develop atypical symptoms of appendicitis, or do not develop all of the symptoms. This is particularly common in young children and pregnant women.
While appendicitis typically occurs in teenagers and young adults, appendicitis in children is often identified by:
A high temperature (fever)
Rebound tenderness
Abdominal pain that begins in the middle of the abdomen, near the navel, and then travels to McBurney’s Point (the area where the appendix is located)
Decreased appetite
Diarrhea
An inflated stomach or bloated stomach (in infants and toddlers)
High white blood cell count, which indicates that the individual has an infection
Children with appendicitis may develop symptoms that mimic those of gastroenteritis (a “stomach bug,” which is a viral or bacterial infection that causes abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea); food poisoning; or a respiratory illness.
If you think you or your child may have appendicitis, seek medical attention immediately.
Appendicitis Symptoms in Pregnancy: Look for These Signs
Pregnant women who develop appendicitis usually have symptoms of appendicitis, which include:
Decreased appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Lower right abdominal pain
Fever and diarrhea are rare in appendicitis during pregnancy.
Some pregnant women with appendicitis may also have symptoms that are uncommon in non-pregnant women with appendicitis, such as: Painful or difficult urination; Uterine contractions; Upper right abdominal pain, which may be due to the fact that the appendix is displaced to the upper right abdominal area during pregnancy. Appendicitis is hard to diagnose during pregnancy because of the abdominal and gastrointestinal discomfort caused by the growing fetus and because of the changes in the body shape caused by the enlarging uterus.
To make the decision to remove the appendix, doctors take a patient’s medical history and their experiences with abdominal pain and other symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, their medical conditions, and how much alcohol and drugs (both legal and illegal) they’ve used. Doctors next do a physical examination for possible signs of an inflamed appendix, and this includes:
- Rebound Tenderness.
- The Revising Sign, where there is pain in the lower right abdomen when pressure is put on and released in the lower left abdomen.
- The Psoas Sign, where there is pain in the lower right abdomen when the muscles near the appendix contract.
- The Obturator Sign, where there is pain in the lower right abdomen when the leg is flexed and internally rotated.
- Guarding, where the patient unconsciously tightens their abdominal muscles before the doctor touches their stomach.
- Doctors will also likely check for tenderness in the area of the anus, as this could be related to appendicitis.
Although these signs suggest that appendicitis is likely, they can also occur in many other medical conditions. The doctor will probably recommend several lab tests that may help establish a diagnosis of appendicitis. Lab tests may include a blood test to determine whether an infection exists, a urine test to see if a urinary tract infection or kidney stone has caused the patient’s pain, and a pregnancy test if the patient is female.
In addition, the doctor may use some imaging techniques, such as ultrasound examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, to identify inflammation and rupture of the appendix, blockage of the appendix, or other reasons for the abdominal pain. Although computerized tomography (CT) scans are commonly used to diagnose appendicitis, CT scans involve radiation, and therefore should not be used on pregnant women, who are at risk for fetal damage from exposure to ionizing radiation.
But if the pain is only on the lower-right side and keeps increasing → forget home remedies, forget “it will settle”, forget loose-motion tablets → rush to hospital.
One timely surgery = lifetime freedom from fear.
Appendicitis = rare, but easy to cure if you act fast.
That’s all!