Digestive Disorders Health Center

Understanding Appendicitis -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?

The classic symptoms of appendicitis include:

• Dull pain near the navel or the upper or lower abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen; this is usually the first sign, but it only occurs in half of appendicitis cases.
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins
• Abdominal swelling
• Temperature of 99 to 102 degrees Farenheit
• Constipation or diarrhea with gas
• Inability to pass gas

In many cases, atypical symptoms appear, including:

• Dull or sharp pain anywhere in the upper or lower abdomen, back, or rectum
• Painful urination
• Vomiting that precedes the abdominal pain

Call Your Doctor About Appendicitis If:

• You have pain that matches the symptoms listed above; acute appendicitis is a medical emergency that can be fatal. Prompt surgery is often essential. Do not eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads, which can cause an inflamed appendix to rupture.
• You have symptoms of appendicitis, but your appendix has already been removed; you may have pelvic inflammatory disease, colorectal cancer, diverticulitis, a tubal pregnancy, gastroenteritis, or inflammation of  your colon, called colitis or Crohn's disease. Seek medical care immediately.

After an appendectomy, call your doctor if you have:

• Uncontrolled vomiting
• Increased pain in your abdomen
• Dizziness/feelings of faintness
• Blood in your vomit, urine, or stool
• Fever
• Diarrhea