Appendicitis Introduction

Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a painful swelling and infection of the appendix.  Anyone can get appendicitis
people between the ages of 10 and 30 are more likely to experience an inflamed appendix.  You
need to know that appendicitis is a medical emergency.  But how do you know if the abdominal
pain that you are experiencing is caused by appendicitis or not?  Let's first locate the appendix
inside the abdomen.  Then, we'll discuss common causes and symptoms of appendicitis.

The appendix is a small, tube-like organ attached to the large intestine, also called the colon. The
appendix is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. A blockage or infection inside of
the appendix causes appendicitis. If inflammation is not treated, the appendix can break open and
leak infection into the body.

Appendicitis Symptoms

Most people with appendicitis have classic symptoms that a doctor can easily identify. The main
symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain.  Typically, appendicitis manifests as a bellyache
around the belly button in the center of the abdomen. Nausea or vomiting may follow. As
appendicitis worsens (usually quickly within the span of several hours), abdominal pain
generally moves down and to the right of the belly button

Sometimes the pain caused by appendicitis can become sharp and intense in this area - enough to
keep you up at night.  Abdominal pain caused by appendicitis usually:

 Begins near the belly button and then moves down and to the right
 Is new and unlike any pain felt before
 Gets worse within a few hours
 Gets worse when moving around, taking deep breaths, coughing, or sneezing
 Occurs suddenly
 Occurs before other symptoms

In addition to abdominal pain, you may experience one or more of the following appendicitis
symptoms. 

 Abdominal swelling
 Constipation or difficulty passing gas
 Diarrhea
 Loss of appetite
 Low-grade fever that starts after other symptoms appear
 Nausea and sometimes vomiting

If you are experiencing abdominal pain, call your doctor and schedule an office visit or go to the
emergency room.  An inflamed appendix can rupture and should be treated as a medical
emergency.  Even if you suspect a "stomachache" isn't serious, call your doctor just to make
sure.  To learn more about confirming an appendicitis diagnosis, look into diagnosing
appendicitis.

 Appendicitis Diagnosis

If you are experiencing abdominal pain, appendicitis may be the cause of your discomfort.
However, the symptoms of appendicitis vary.  To help confuse matters, abdominal pain can arise
from a number of health problems other than appendicitis.   The symptoms of an inflamed
appendix can mimic other sources of abdominal pain such as:

 Crohn's Disease
 Ectopic pregnancy
 Intestinal adhesions or obstruction
 Inflammatory bowel syndromes, or IBS
 Kidney stones
 Pelvic inflammatory disease , or PID

So how do you know if appendicitis is the correct diagnosis for your abdominal pain, or not?

Doctors diagnose most cases of appendicitis by taking a medical history of signs and symptoms
and performing a physical examination of the abdomen.  The classic symptoms of appendicitis
usually present themselves during a physical exam.  When gentle pressure on the painful area is
suddenly released, appendicitis pain will often feel worse. Other signs your doctor may look for
include abdominal rigidity and a guarded muscle response to pressure over the inflamed
appendix.

Doctors can also use laboratory and imaging tests to confirm appendicitis if you do not exhibit
classic symptoms or cannot adequately describe symptoms.  Your doctor may recommend any of
the following procedures:

 Blood test  -  to check for a high white blood cell count, which may indicate an infection.
 Urine test -  to make sure that a urinary tract infection or a kidney stone isn't causing your
pain.
 Abdominal X-ray - to help confirm appendicitis or find other causes for your pain
 Ultrasound scan - to provide images of your internal organs
 CT scan - to reveal other potential diagnoses if your appendix is not the source of your
pain
 Diagnostic laparascopy - to reveal other potential diagnoses if your appendix is not the
source of your pain

If you suspect that you have appendicitis, call a doctor immediately. Don't take laxatives, use
enemas or take any pain medications until your doctor sees you because these can cause the
appendix to rupture.  Appendicitis is an emergency that must be treated surgically.   To learn
more about treating this serious medical condition, read more about treating appendicitis now.
 

a doctor immediately. Don't take laxatives, use enemas or take any pain medications until your
doctor sees you because these can cause the appendix to rupture. Appendicitis is an emergency
that must be treated surgically. To learn more about treating this serious medical condition, read
more about treating appendicitis now.

Appendicitis Treatment

Appendicitis treatment
Appendicitis can't be treated at home.  Instead, you must communicate the signs and symptoms
of abdominal pain to your doctor in order to receive immediate treatment.  Early diagnosis and
treatment of appendicitis ensures your safety and protects your health.

If you exhibit classic symptoms of appendicitis, immediate surgery to remove the appendix
(before it bursts) will probably be suggested.  Extensive diagnostic testing may not be required
because prompt surgery decreases the likelihood the appendix will burst.  Treatment almost
always involves removing the appendix but, in some cases might involve non-surgical therapies. 
We'll review the most common treatment options to learn more.

Nonsurgical Treatment - Some research suggests that appendicitis can get better without
surgery. But nonsurgical treatment is typically used if surgery is not available, if a person is not
well enough to undergo surgery, or if the diagnosis is unclear. Nonsurgical treatment includes
antibiotics to treat infection and a liquid or soft diet until the infection subsides. A soft diet low
in fiber breaks down more easily in the gastrointestinal tract.

Appendectomy -  Surgery to remove the appendix is called appendectomy and can be done two
ways. The older method, called laparotomy, removes the appendix through a single incision in
the lower right area of the abdomen. The newer method, called laparoscopic surgery, uses
several smaller incisions and special surgical tools to remove the appendix. Laparoscopic surgery
leads to fewer complications and has a shorter recovery time.

If your appendix is removed before it ruptures, you will probably recover very soon after
surgery. If your appendix ruptures before surgery, recovery tends to be slower, and you  are more
likely to develop an abscess or other complications.  Full recovery from surgery takes about 4 to
6 weeks. Limiting physical activity during this time allows tissues to heal.   

As always, we encourage you to work with your doctor to determine which treatment option is
best for you.  With adequate care, most people recover from appendicitis and do not need to
make changes to diet, exercise, or lifestyle. Early diagnosis and treatment decrease the likelihood
of complications associated with appendicitis.  So call your doctor if you develop abdominal
pain in the lower right portion of your belly, or if you notice any other symptoms of appendicitis.