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Appendicitis occurs when the appendix, a small finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine, becomes inflamed or infected.1 This condition can cause painful symptoms such as stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and a mild fever.
A blockage in the appendix or an infection can cause appendicitis, and there is no known way to prevent the condition from occurring. If you begin to experience symptoms, your healthcare provider can use a physical examination, imaging scans, and blood tests to give you an accurate diagnosis. In most cases, treatment involves antibiotics or surgery to remove the appendix.
Approximately 250,000 people in the U.S. receive a diagnosis for appendicitis each year.2 While anyone can develop appendicitis, the condition is most common in people between 10 and 30 years old.1
Types of Appendicitis
There are two main types of appendicitis: acute and chronic (recurrent). Acute appendicitis is more common than chronic appendicitis.
Acute appendicitis: Acute appendicitis occurs suddenly, with more severe symptoms that can worsen rapidly. This condition is considered a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment from a healthcare provider.
Chronic appendicitis: Chronic appendicitis occurs when inflammation of the appendix persists over a long period, causing symptoms that come and go. This type of appendicitis is rare, accounting for only 1-5% of all appendicitis cases.
Symptoms
Acute and chronic appendicitis symptoms are similar, but acute appendicitis comes on suddenly and quickly becomes more severe. With chronic (recurrent) appendicitis, symptoms tend to come and go and can range from mild discomfort to severe pain.
Symptoms of appendicitis include:
Abdominal pain: The tell-tale sign of appendicitis is abdominal (stomach) pain, which often begins as a dull ache near the belly button. Over hours or days, the pain becomes more severe and moves to the lower right portion of the abdomen. Taking a deep breath, walking, coughing, or applying pressure to the abdomen can worsen the pain.
Loss of appetite: Pain and discomfort, along with the body’s response to inflammation in the appendix, may reduce appetite and make you feel too unwell to eat.
Nausea and vomiting: After the onset of pain, nausea and vomiting can occur.
Mild fever: A low-grade fever of 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit is a common symptom. A fever higher than this may signify that the appendix has ruptured.
Changes in bowel movements: You might experience diarrhea and constipation, along with excess gas or the inability to pass gas.
Chronic appendicitis may also cause additional symptoms, such as fatigue, a general sense of feeling unwell, and bloating or abdominal swelling.
Causes
Appendicitis occurs when the inside of the appendix (called the lumen) becomes inflamed or infected. Normally, the appendix produces mucus that travels through the lumen and into the large intestine. When the appendix becomes blocked, mucus backs up in the lumen and bacteria in the appendix begin to multiply. This causes the appendix to become inflamed, swollen, and infected, leading to the onset of appendicitis symptoms.
Some reasons appendix blockages occur include:
Hard stool
Parasites
Masses (tumors)
Infection in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or other areas of the body
Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
Abdominal injury
Risk Factors
Anyone can develop appendicitis, but certain risk factors can increase your risk of experiencing symptoms. Risk factors for appendicitis include:
Age: Appendicitis is most common in people between the ages of 10 and 30
Family history: Having family members with a history of appendicitis may raise your risk of developing symptoms
Sex: People assigned male at birth have a slightly higher risk of getting appendicitis than those assigned female at birth
Being immunocompromised: People who are undergoing chemotherapy, taking immunosuppressant medications, or have conditions that cause a weakened immune system are at an increased risk of experiencing symptoms