What Are the Signs of Appendicitis?

To avoid an emergency hospital visit, learn the early signs of appendicitis in adults and kids. If you recognize the symptoms of this disease, you may only require a doctor’s visit to treat it.

What is appendicitis? It is a condition commonly characterized by the inflammation of a person’s appendix. This condition is classed in the same group as medical emergencies.

Once a person has been diagnosed with this disease, he must go under either laparoscopy or laparotomy so that the inflamed appendix can be removed. Diagnosis, treatment and recovery will be a quicker and more comfortable experience if knowing the major symptoms of this condition and take action immediately.

Appendicitis symptoms & location of appendix

• This disease can be occurs when the walls of the appendix are invaded and infected by bacteria.
• Peritonitis and abscess are most common when it comes to complications.
• Physical examination and history of a patient is the basis on which suspicion of appendicitis is confirmed. However, there are other tests that are also helpful.
• Where is the appendix in the human body?
  The size and location of appendix as well as the other organs’ proximity to the appendix made it hard to differentiate between pelvic/abdominal diseases and appendix problems.
• Surgery, appendectomy or antibiotics are the treatments for this condition.
• Appendectomy complications include abscess and wound infection.
• There are several other conditions whose symptoms mimic those of appendicitis, for instance liver disease and Meckel’s diverticulitis among others.

If you have been experiencing the below appendix pain symptoms, then it is best you seek immediate medical attention because they are sure signs of appendicitis.

What are signs of appendix problems?

• Belly pain. The pain usually begins around a person’s belly button.
• Acute stomach pain in lower right abdominal area.
• The appendicitis pain becomes stronger and moves below south the belly button to your right side.
• As the pain moves to your right lower quadrant, it becomes worse and more unbearable with the slightest motion or even cough. This is one of the first signs of this disease. Even in acute appendicitis, lower abdominal pain though often severe can also be mild.
• You start feeling nauseated and probably throw up a couple of times.
• Your appetite disappears.
• You start having slight fever, experiencing constipation; have back pains or your abdomen swells.
• If you have trouble passing gas, this is yet another sign of this disease.

But the symptoms listed are not applicable to everyone as some people have different ones. For example, children under 2 years, pregnant women and older folks usually do not experience pain on their lower right side of their belly.

Others experience pain on a different side because their appendix is positioned on an abnormal side. Signs of appendicitis in children can be mistaken for common tummy upsets.

An acute appendicitis classic presentation is said to be first pain followed by vomiting, and the last sign is fever. Most patients who are suspected to be suffering from this disease are usually asked to have a blood test done.

Sometimes signs of kidney stones can be similar to symptoms of appendicitis, like pain in lower right abdomen.

Preventive measures

To reduce your chances of developing this disease, the below cautions should be taken:

• Eat foods that are not spicy. Avoid cooking food which has got a lot of spices, but if you can avoid the spices all together then all the better.
• Consume fiber rich foods. Studies have shown that people with the least risk of developing appendicitis are the ones who eat fiber rich foods.
• Eat a lot of fruits and green vegetables.
• Eat foods rich in whole grain like oatmeal, barley and so forth.
• Include legumes in your diet such as black beans but make sure that you have soaked then for some time in water before cooking.
• Drink fresh fruit juice and also vegetable juice on a regular basis.
• Drink tea that has fenugreek seeds.

So if you notice any early signs of appendicitis, it important to call 911 or hospital emergency.