The Painful World of Appendicitis

What it feels like, what it does to you, and what you can do for relief.

Ever had issues with your appendix? If you're unsure, the answer is probably no. Because if your appendix ever gives you trouble and results in appendicitis, you'll find out pretty fast.

A painful and even dangerous condition, appendicitis results in nearly 2,500 annual deaths worldwide. How can you recognize it and get help quick? Keep reading to find out.

Feel the Pain

While each case of appendicitis is a bit different, the condition almost always comes with pain focused in your abdomen. More specifically, it affects the area surrounding your belly button. In some cases, the pain comes on immediately. For the most part, however, it starts out as minor pain and gradually increases in severity.

When the pain grows worse, your appetite decreases, and you may wind up feeling nauseous, suffering a low fever, or vomiting. Don't treat the problem fast enough and appendicitis will cause the pain in your belly button to move into your lower right abdomen. And if the pain stops for a short bit, you're in real trouble - especially if this relief is followed by worsened pain that is intensified when you move.

What's Going On

Attached to your large intestine, your appendix is a small pouch thought to create and maintain a storehouse of good germs in your gut. Unfortunately, the appendix isn't always in good health. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed due to the appendix being blocked by some feces, a tumor, or another foreign object.

Pain sets in with appendicitis quickly, and the pain often makes its way to the lower right abdomen within 24 hours after setting in. If the pain suddenly ceases, this doesn't mean you're out of the woods. Quite the contrary. When your appendicitis pain lets up for a short bit, it may be because your appendix ruptured. The immediate relief you feel is because your appendix is no longer swelling. It has burst open, and whatever substance was being housed in your appendix and nearby intestine at the time leaks into your body. This results in some serious infection that put you at great risk if you don't act fast.

Lifesaving Action

What should you do if you suspect you're suffering from appendicitis? Get to a physician's office immediately. There, you'll undergo a physical examination and laboratory tests. If these don't give a definitive diagnosis, your physician may prescribe an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan or abdominal ultrasound.

Once it is determined that you are suffering from appendicitis, it's time to kiss your appendix goodbye. That's right - regardless of what complications you may be experiencing, your appendix cannot stay in you much longer without causing very dangerous issues. If your appendix has already ruptured, your appendix will have to be removed, and the infection caused by the rupture treated.

Thankfully, by catching appendicitis early, you can undergo appropriate treatment and get back to life in a timely manner. Even if your appendix ruptures and you require emergency surgery, you can make a full recovery. It will take longer, however, and you may have complications afterward.