There are many, many different causes of stomach aches, from stress and medications to food poisoning and GI conditions. But when your minor stomach problems turn serious, they may mean you need your appendix removed—and being able to recognize the most common appendicitis symptoms can help you tell the difference.
“If [appendicitis] is not treated, your appendix can rupture, which can be life-threatening,” explained Jennifer Caudle, D.O., a family medicine physician. Of course, not every case of appendicitis ends with the organ rupturing. But the longer the condition goes untreated, the higher your risk of a burst appendix, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Meet the experts: Jennifer Caudle, D.O., a family medicine physician; Dan Gingold, M.D., an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; Cedrek McFadden, M.D., a colorectal surgeon and associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.
Calling your doctor ASAP or even heading to the emergency room can help you get the treatment you need as fast as possible—which, in most cases, is an appendectomy to remove the organ, per the NIH. Here, physicians share the signs you need to know.
Common appendicitis symptoms
Horrible stomach pain
If your stomach hurts worse than it ever has before, don’t brush it off. Appendicitis often causes severe pain in the lower right side of your abdomen, said Dr. Caudle. If your pain is severe—and localized to that region—you need to see a doctor.
Some appendicitis patients also experience a different kind of discomfort, added Dan Gingold, M.D., an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. If it hurts when you’re walking, coughing, or driving over a speed bump, your entire abdominal wall could be inflamed. This may mean your appendix has already ruptured—or is on the verge of bursting—and you should get to a doctor, stat.
Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite
Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite could just be signs you’re battling a stomach bug. But when paired with other symptoms, like severe stomach pain, they can also signal appendicitis.
“Inflammation of the appendix sometimes impacts other aspects of the GI tract and the nervous system and leads to nausea and vomiting,” explained Dr. Caudle. Not everyone with appendicitis will have these symptoms, so don’t write off the condition if you don’t experience them.
Frequent urination
Do you feel like you always have to pee? Appendicitis may be to blame. In some people, the appendix is positioned lower in the pelvis—closer to the bladder. And when your bladder comes into contact with an inflamed appendix, it can also become irritated, said Cedrek McFadden, M.D., a colorectal surgeon and associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.
As a result, you may feel like you have to pee all the time—and it might hurt when you do. Of course, these can also be UTI symptoms. But when paired with other appendicitis symptoms, they warrant a trip to the doctor.
Fever and chills
If you’re shivering and running a fever, there’s probably inflammation somewhere in your body. “The body responds [to inflammation] by releasing several chemicals to ring the alarm and bring fighter cells to the area,” said Dr. McFadden. “[This] can manifest as localized pain, as well as whole-body symptoms like fever and chills.”
Keep tabs on your temperature, take note of other symptoms, and try to pinpoint any localized pain you’re experiencing. If your stomach hurts—or your fever starts worsening—call your doctor.
Confusion or brain fog
It’s normal to feel tired when you’re sick. But if you feel confused, disoriented, or “not all there,” you may be experiencing a severe infection, like sepsis. Sepsis occurs when an infection in one part of your body (in this case, your appendix) spreads to other parts of your body, and it can be fatal, per the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Experiencing brain fog and confusion doesn’t mean the infection has spread to your brain, Dr. Gingold clarified. “[It] just [means] the infection is getting worse,” he said. “And [you’re] expending a lot of body resources, including oxygen, so the brain doesn’t get enough and doesn’t work normally.”
If you feel off, trust your instincts. Whether you have appendicitis or another mind-altering health condition (like a stroke), the sooner you get help, the better.
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