The symptoms of appendicitis vary. The condition can be hard to diagnose, especially in children, the elderly, and women of childbearing age.

Most often, the first symptom is pain around your belly button.

• The pain may be vague at first, but it becomes sharp and severe.
• The pain often moves into your right lower abdomen and becomes more focused in this area.

Other symptoms include:

• Fever (usually not very high)
• Reduced appetite
• Nausea and vomiting

If you have symptoms of appendicitis, seek immediate medical help. Do not use heating pads, enemas, laxatives, or other home treatments to try and relieve symptoms.

Your health care provider will examine your abdomen and rectum. Other tests may be done.

• Blood tests, including a white blood cell count (WBC), may be done to check for infection.
• When the diagnosis is not clear, the doctor may order a CT scan or ultrasound to make sure the appendix is the cause of the problem.

There are no actual tests to confirm that you have appendicitis. Other illnesses can cause the same or similar symptoms.

The goal is to remove an infected appendix before it breaks open (ruptures). After reviewing your symptoms and the results of the physical exam and medical tests, your surgeon will decide whether you need an operation.

Even when the surgeon discovers the appendix is not infected, it will be removed to prevent future problems.

Patients tend to recover quickly after a simple appendectomy. Most patients leave the hospital in 1 - 3 days after surgery. You can resume normal activities within 2 - 4 weeks after leaving the hospital.

Recovery is slower and more complicated if the appendix has ruptured or an abscess has formed.

Living without an appendix causes no known health problems.

Images

Anatomical landmarks, front view

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Review Date: 05/17/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)