Appendicitis is inflammation or an infection in the appendix, a small organ attached to the first part of the large intestine. Appendicitis is most common in children, teens and young adults, but anyone can have appendicitis.
What Are the Early Signs and Symptoms of Appendicitis?
The most common symptom of appendicitis is lower right abdominal pain, starting near the navel. The pain may come and go at first, but if it’s caused by appendicitis, it will progressively get worse over a few hours.
Signs your abdominal pain is caused by appendicitis:
- Your pain begins suddenly, possibly waking you from sleep.
- Your pain gets worse when you move, cough or breathe deeply.
- Your pain is severe, different from any other abdominal pain you may have had before.
Pain is the first sign something is wrong, but other symptoms of appendicitis may appear later, including:
- Abdominal swelling
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Low-grade fever
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
How Long Do Appendicitis Symptoms Last?
Symptoms will last until appendicitis is treated. If you or your loved one is showing early signs of appendicitis, seek medical care immediately. The appendix can rupture within 48–72 hours of the symptoms beginning. This can cause serious health concerns, especially if appendicitis is due to an infection. A ruptured appendix can cause the infection to spread to the abdomen.
Symptoms of a burst appendix include pain that spreads throughout the abdomen, as opposed to lower right abdominal pain, and a high fever of roughly 104 F.
Seeking Care for Appendicitis
Appendicitis may be treated with antibiotics if the case is mild enough. More often, appendicitis may require an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix. While the exact purpose of the appendix is unknown, the body can function without it.
What if It’s Not Appendicitis?
In some cases, other gastrointestinal conditions can cause symptoms similar to appendicitis. These conditions require different forms of treatment, and may be chronic health concerns that require lifelong care. These may include:
- Abdominal adhesions
- Constipation
- Crohn’s disease
- Endometriosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Ulcerative colitis
Medically reviewed by Charity Dugan, DO, FACOS.
