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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of appendicitis may include:
- Aching pain that begins around your navel and often shifts to your lower right abdomen
- Pain that becomes sharper over several hours
- Tenderness that occurs when you apply pressure to your lower right abdomen
- Sharp pain in your lower right abdomen that occurs when the area is pressed on and then the pressure is quickly released (rebound tenderness)
- Pain that worsens if you cough, walk or make other jarring movements
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Low-grade fever
- Constipation
- Inability to pass gas
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal swelling
The location of your pain may vary, depending on your age and the position of your appendix. Young children or pregnant women, especially, may have appendicitis pain in different places.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with a doctor if you or your child experiences signs or symptoms that worry you. Abdominal pain so severe that a person is unable to sit still or find a comfortable position requires immediate medical attention.
- Sarosi GA, et al. Appendicitis. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/147305686-2/0/1389/0.html. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Ferri FF. Appendicitis, acute. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/147002427-2/0/1701/0.html. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Appendicitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/appendicitis/. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Appendectomy. American College of Surgeons. http://www.facs.org/public_info/operation/brochures/app.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2009.
