The appendix is a small organ attached to the large intestine in the lower right side of the belly. When it gets infected, it's called appendicitis. Show
Appendicitis is an emergency. It's important to know what to look for and get medical care right away. What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Appendicitis?The first signs of appendicitis are often a mild fever and pain around the belly button. It might seem like just a stomachache. But with appendicitis, the pain usually gets worse and moves to the lower right side of the belly. If your child has belly pain, be on the lookout for these signs of appendicitis:
If pain spreads across the belly, it may mean the appendix has burst. Doctors call this ruptured appendicitis, and it's serious. A high fever reaching 104°F (40°C) is another sign of a burst appendix. Call your doctor right away if you think your child has appendicitis. The sooner it's caught, the easier it will be to treat. What Problems Can Happen?If an infected appendix isn't removed, it has the potential to burst about 48 to 72 hours after symptoms first start. This can spread inside the body. The infection might form a large collection of pus (an abscess) or spread throughout the belly. Who Gets Appendicitis?Appendicitis mostly affects kids and teens between 5 and 20 years old. It is rare in infants. What Causes Appendicitis?When the appendix gets blocked, too much bacteria can grow and cause an infection. Some of the things that might block the appendix are:
Appendicitis is not contagious. Kids can't catch it from someone who has it. How Is Appendicitis Diagnosed?The symptoms of appendicitis can be a lot like those of other medical problems (like kidney stones, pneumonia, or a urinary tract infection). So it can be a challenge for doctors to diagnose. To find out if a child has appendicitis, a doctor will examine the belly for signs of pain and tenderness. The doctor will order blood tests and urine tests. Some kids also get an X-ray of the abdomen and chest, an ultrasound, or a CAT scan. The medical team may tell you not to give your child any food or drink. This is in case your child needs surgery. How Is Appendicitis Treated?A surgeon will operate to take out the infected appendix. This is called an appendectomy. Most of the time, surgeons use a small device called a laparoscope to remove the appendix through a small cut on the belly. Kids who get this surgery usually stay in the hospital for a day. The care team may give your child intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics before and after surgery. This helps prevent problems such as an infection. Kids get pain medicine if they need it. A child who had a burst appendix might need to stay in the hospital longer after an appendectomy. That gives the antibiotics time to kill any bacteria that spread into the body. Can Appendicitis Be Prevented?There is no way to prevent appendicitis. But when kids get the right medical care quickly, doctors usually find and treat it without problems. A fever, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling, and gastrointestinal discomfort are all signs of appendicitis.MasterfileYour appendix is a small, finger-like pouch that’s located at the lower right side of your abdomen at the junction of your large intestine and small intestine. Appendicitis occurs when your appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus, a fluid made up of dead cells and inflammatory debris that often results from an infection. If appendicitis is left untreated, the appendix will swell and eventually burst, leaking its infected contents throughout your abdomen and leading to a potentially life-threatening infection. There is no way to predict who will get appendicitis, so spotting the signs of appendicitis is vital for early diagnosis. If you have appendicitis, the first symptom you will likely experience is a pain around your belly button. Over a matter of hours — typically 12 to 24 hours after onset — this pain slowly moves to the lower right part of your belly and tends to settle at a spot called McBurney’s point, which lies directly above the base of your appendix. (1)
Other Causes of Stomach Pain  What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?Abdominal pain is common in a lot of illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections (UTI), and pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of a woman’s reproductive organs. (2) You could also experience stomach pain if you’re constipated or have food poisoning, kidney stones, or some kind of intestinal obstruction, so it’s important to look for other signs of appendicitis if you’re experiencing abdominal pain.
At the onset of appendicitis, people typically experience several other symptoms along with the pain. These include:
It’s also important to note that if you have appendicitis, your abdominal pain will likely spike whenever you move around, take deep breaths, cough, or sneeze. Your lower right abdomen will be tender, and you will experience pain if you put pressure on the area and quickly release it (a symptom called “rebound tenderness”). (2)
Though most people who have appendicitis have the same symptoms, some people may display atypical symptoms of appendicitis, or a lack of certain symptoms. This is especially true for children and pregnant women. Most often, appendicitis affects teens and those in their twenties. In children, appendicitis is usually marked by:
In children, the symptoms of appendicitis can be similar to gastroenteritis (a “stomach bug,” which is a viral or bacterial infection causing abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea), food poisoning, or a respiratory illness. (4) If you suspect you or your child has appendicitis, seek immediate care. (2)
Pregnant women with appendicitis most often experience appendicitis symptoms that include:
Fever and diarrhea are less common in appendicitis during pregnancy. Pregnant women may also experience other symptoms not often seen in nonpregnant adults with appendicitis, including urination that’s painful or difficult, uterine contractions, and pain in the upper right belly, possibly as a result of the appendix changing its position during pregnancy. (5) Appendicitis can be challenging to recognize during pregnancy because of the abdominal and gastrointestinal discomfort pregnancy already causes in some women, and because of changes in the body shape due to an enlarged uterus. (6)
To diagnose appendicitis, your doctor will begin with your medical history and ask more detailed questions about your abdominal pain, other symptoms you’ve experienced, medical conditions you may have, and your alcohol and drug (both legal and illegal) use. Your doctor will then perform a physical exam and look for signs of an inflamed appendix, including: (2)
It may also be necessary to examine your rectum, which may be tender from appendicitis. But these signs don’t necessarily mean you have appendicitis; they can occur with other conditions, too. Your doctor will likely order a number of laboratory tests that will point toward a diagnosis of appendicitis. These can include a blood test to look for signs of infection, a urine test to rule out urinary tract infections and kidney stones, and a pregnancy test if you’re a woman. Additionally, your doctor may conduct imaging tests, including abdominal ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. These tests can reveal inflammation and rupturing of the appendix, appendix obstructions that can cause appendicitis, and other sources of abdominal pain. Computerized tomography (CT) scans are also typically used to diagnose appendicitis, but the radiation from CT scans can be harmful to a developing fetus, so CT is usually avoided in pregnant women. (2) Because the symptoms of appendicitis are similar to so many other conditions, it is sometimes misdiagnosed. One study found that almost 12 percent of all appendectomies performed in the United States between 1998 and 2007 occurred in people who did not in fact have appendicitis, but had some other condition. (7) Additional reporting by Deborah Shapiro. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Digestive Health Newsletter!Enter your email By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Show Less The Latest in AppendicitisFind out how trigger foods, portion size, and fiber can help or harm your gut. Abdominal Pain: Is It Appendicitis or Something Else?Several conditions can cause pain in the lower right abdomen, and they can be difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of appendicitis pain. By Joseph Bennington-CastroOctober 22, 2022Appendicitis in Children: Signs, Symptoms, and MoreThe warning signs and treatment can be different in children compared to adults. By Joseph Bennington-CastroOctober 21, 2022Treating Appendicitis With AntibioticsAntibiotics, when combined with surgery, are a standard part of treatment. But can antibiotics alone reliably treat appendicitis? By Joseph Bennington-CastroOctober 12, 2022Chronic Appendicitis: Symptoms and CausesSometimes the symptoms of appendicitis come and go and aren’t immediately apparent. Learn what causes appendix pain to return. By Joseph Bennington-CastroOctober 12, 2022What Is an Appendectomy? Surgery and RecoveryBy Joseph Bennington-CastroOctober 12, 2022What Is the Appendix, and What Does It Do?The role of the appendix has long been something of a mystery, but experts now believe they’ve learned much more about its function. Can appendicitis pain start on the left side?Appendicitis causing pain in the left lower quadrant is extremely rare and can occur with congenital abnormalities that include true left-sided appendix or as an atypical presentation of right-sided, but long appendix, which projects into the left lower quadrant[2].
What are the early warning signs of appendicitis?Symptoms. Sudden pain that begins on the right side of the lower abdomen.. Sudden pain that begins around your navel and often shifts to your lower right abdomen.. Pain that worsens if you cough, walk or make other jarring movements.. Nausea and vomiting.. Loss of appetite.. What are the 5 signs of appendicitis?What are the symptoms of appendicitis?. Abdominal pain or tenderness that hurts more when you cough, sneeze, inhale or move.. Swollen belly.. Constipation.. Diarrhea.. Inability to pass gas.. Loss of appetite (not feeling hungry when you usually would).. Low-grade fever (below 100 degrees F).. Nausea and vomiting.. Can appendicitis present on the left side?Left-sided appendicitis is an atypical presentation and has been reported rarely. The majority of these cases have been described to be associated with congenital midgut malrotation, situs inversus, or an extremely long appendix.
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Is appendicitis on the right or left side
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