In humans, the appendix is a hollow tube that is attached to the large intestine and serves no known function within the body. If your appendix becomes inflamed, you can develop a condition called an acute appendicitis. If left untreated, an acute appendicitis can be life-threatening. Speak with your doctor as soon as possible if you develop acute appendicitis symptoms.
Abdominal Pain
The most common symptom of an acute appendicitis is abdominal pain. Onset symptoms of an acute appendicitis can include mild aching pain localized near your navel. Within several hours, the pain can become very sharp and can migrate to the lower right region of your abdomen. If you have an acute appendicitis, you can experience tenderness within the lower right abdomen, which can become worse if you press on this region of your body. Normal activities, such as walking, can worsen abdominal pain.
Abdominal Swelling
Inflammation within your appendix can cause this organ and the surrounding tissue to become inflamed or swollen. As a result, you can develop abdominal swelling as a symptom of an acute appendicitis. Abdominal swelling can contribute to symptoms of abdominal pain and tenderness.
Nausea or Vomiting
If you have an acute appendicitis, abdominal pain can cause you to develop severe nausea or vomiting. These symptoms typically occur after the abdominal pain develops and can become progressively worse if the appendicitis is left untreated.
Constipation or Diarrhea
If you appendix become swollen or inflamed, it can cause irritation to develop in your large intestine. Intestinal irritation can cause you to experience changes in your bowel movements. If you have an acute appendicitis, you can develop severe constipation or diarrhea as a symptom of this condition. Such symptoms can also contribute to abdominal pain, bloating or nausea.
Loss of Appetite
In a review article in the Nov. 1, 1999 issue of the "American Family Physician," a journal published by the American Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. D. Mike Hardin, Jr., reported that loss of appetite occurred at a frequency of approximately 100 percent in patients with an appendicitis. Loss of appetite is typically accompanied by additional gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, in patients with an acute appendicitis.
Fever
If you have an acute appendicitis, you can develop a low-grade fever. A low-grade fever is a rectal temperature reading between 100 to 101°F as defined by the Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals, an online healthcare book for medical professionals.
