Appendicitis Symptoms & Treatment

At least 1 in 15 people in the United States will come down with appendicitis, an infection of the appendix. The appendix is a small 3 1/2-inch piece of tissue that extends from the large intestine, which scientists still do not understand the function of. It is possible to live a normal life without the appendix, so when it becomes inflamed and infected and begins to cause the symptoms of appendicitis, it is removed during a procedure called an appendectomy.

Appendicitis Pain

• The most easily recognized sign of appendicitis is the pain that occurs in the region of the organ. It evolves as the appendix becomes swollen from an infection. The appendix will fill with pus and the surrounding area of the body will become tender. In the beginning of appendicitis, the pain will be well defined in the area of the navel. However, over the course of 12 to perhaps as many as 18 hours, it will move in the direction of the lower right abdominal area as other tissues begin to become tender. Gradually this pain will be centered in the lower right abdomen. It can range from moderate to severe and worsens when the person coughs or makes any sudden movements.

Rebound Pain

• Doctors will often look for what is called rebound tenderness, or rebound pain, to aid them in making a diagnosis of appendicitis. This type of discomfort occurs when the region of the appendix is pressed gently upon and then this pressure is quickly released. The rebound pain will be prominent at that moment. Elevated white blood counts are also a symptom of appendicitis, as the immune system will send white blood cells to the region of the infection in an attempt to fight it off.

Other Appendicits Symptoms

• Some of the other symptoms that define appendicitis include a fever that can range anywhere from 99 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The person experiencing appendicitis will lose his appetite in most cases and will feel nauseous and want to vomit. He can become constipated and have a hard time passing anything through his bowels. If he is able to have a bowel movement, it can come in the form of diarrhea.

Laparoscopic Procedure

• In a routine case of appendicitis, the doctor will schedule surgery to have the appendix removed. This operation, called an appendectomy, is performed as many as 80,000 times a year in the U.S. alone. Open surgery will require a single incision in the abdomen, while laparoscopic surgery is much less invasive. It involves the surgeon introducing a laparoscope into a tiny incision. This piece of equipment is a camera mounted on a thin tube which can be snaked into the region of the appendix. It has a lighting system that allows the surgeon to view the area. Then the surgeon can insert minute instruments through other very small incisions to remove the appendix. The healing time with this technique is much faster than a traditional open incision, usually about 2 days. Most people are back to normal strength after 3 weeks.

Treatment for Complications

• If there are complications, such as a ruptured appendix, then the treatment will require an extended hospital stay after the appendix is removed. A ruptured appendix can result in an infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as peritonitis. The abdominal cavity will need to be cleaned out and large volumes of antibiotic drugs will be employed through intravenous tubes to fight the infection. This is a very serious complication and can result in death, even with prompt treatment. In other cases, the appendix and surrounding area will be so inflamed that the doctor may use antibiotics to bring the infection down and shrink the region, with the intent to perform surgery at a later time when the patient's abdomen is more stable.