6 Appendicitis Symptoms That You Shouldn’t Ignore

Not listening to the signs of appendicitis in time can make things complicated and even cause peritonitis that can put the patient’s life in danger.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor José Gerardo Rosciano Paganelli.

Written by Carolina Betancourth

Last update: 11 June, 2022

Your appendix is a small organ in the shape of a tube. It’s found at the beginning of the large intestine just under the right side of your abdomen. And, appendicitis symptoms can tip you off to a dangerous condition that requires urgent medical care.

For starters, the appendix doesn’t have any known function, in the human body, its insides have lymphoid follicles for your immune system. They are similar to the ones found in your tonsils.
Appendicitis starts when the organ is blocked or inflamed. This gets in the way of blood flow. Then, the pressure in the region rises.

The beginning stages don’t cause a lot of danger, you need to take care of it as soon as possible. This is because, if you let it go, the infection can spread.

In severe cases, it can cause peritonitis. This is a complication that puts the patient’s life at risk.

Because of this, it’s important to pay attention to certain signals. Though they can be confused with other problems, they are one you need to tell your doctor about and get the right diagnosis.

See what the 6 main ones are.

1. Abdominal inflammation

Abdominal inflammation or distention is characterized by an annoying feeling of pressure and fullness. This is almost always associated with digestive difficulties.

• In this case, in particular, this symptom is very common. This is because the blockage of the appendix causes an inflammatory reaction. This goes along with the advance of the disease and it spreads to your entire digestive system.
• We should mention that besides inflammation, the patient can suffer from gas buildup.

2. Pain in the lower right part of your abdomen

One of the first signs of appendicitis is a sharp pain that’s almost always in the lower right part of your abdomen. In other words, where this organ is located.

• This symptom increases gradually. It grows with the inflammation and pressure on your appendix that’s caused by the obstruction.
• It can appear intermittently. Though, it usually lasts much longer when the disease advances.
• It’s common for patients to feel it more strongly when they sneeze or make a sudden movement.
• In some cases, the pain spreads from your belly button to your lower back.

3. Dizziness and vomiting

When dizziness and vomiting appear gradually, it’s very important to look for the other appendicitis symptoms.

While not every case is because of this disease, it’s very important that you consider this possibility. This is especially true if you see it together with other appendicitis symptoms.

• Around 90% of diagnosed cases have this symptom, just after feeling a strong pain in the lower abdomen.
• When your appendix isn’t removed in time, the infection starts to spread. This causes the vomiting and dizziness to be more frequent.

4. Gradual loss of appetite

A loss of appetite is a consequence of the inflammation your system produces. It produces this symptom when faced with a blockage. And this blockage put the appendix in this state, to begin with.

These reactions get it the way of your digestive system’s functions. Also, it affects the secretion of hunger hormones.

• As a result, patients tend to have complications caused by nutritional deficiencies.
• Even though it might seem normal at first, this is a symptom that requires a prompt medical evaluation.

5. Fever

The inflammation and pressure this organ suffers from because of appendicitis tends to show up with appendicitis symptoms that are similar to other gastrointestinal infections.

Because of this, sometimes affected patients have fever and chills together with the characteristic abdominal pain.

• This is a symptom that you shouldn’t overlook. This is because, even though you can treat it with remedies, it tends to reappear as the inflammation gets worse.
• Even if you don’t have much of a temperature, you need to talk to your doctor if you have a fever together with other digest symptoms.

6. Constipation or diarrhea

By causing this inflammatory response, in reaction to the appendiceal blockage, it’s common to have an increased tendency to have constipation or diarrhea.

• Patients stop defecating normally. While some feel the need to go to the bathroom often, others have a reduced urge and with much more difficulty.
• In these cases, both problems are accompanied by abdominal inflammation and gas.

When should you talk to the doctor?

After identifying these appendicitis symptoms, it’s urgent that you get to the doctor as soon as possible to get a prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Keep in mind that even though appendicitis symptoms can be associated with other digestive system diseases, it’s best to have them analyzed by a professional.

Your doctor can do a physical exploration, blood tests, and other kinds of exams that can precisely identify the disease.