The appendix is a small tube-shaped pouch attached to your colon (large intestine). During childhood, the appendix helps fight infection. However, as you get older, you no longer need this tissue.
When the appendix becomes inflamed or swollen, it is known as appendicitis. This condition usually requires immediate surgery to remove the appendix.
The main sign of appendicitis is pain, which often becomes severe over time. You will typically first notice that the area around your belly button hurts. Within a couple of hours, the pain may move to the lower right part of your abdomen. The pain may also increase as you move around, cough, sneeze, or press on the affected area.
In addition to pain, appendicitis may lead to:
You should seek emergency medical care if you experience severe abdominal pain, especially if you are also experiencing other symptoms.
Doctors often don’t know what exactly causes appendicitis. It may develop when the opening of the appendix becomes blocked. Digested food in the colon or swollen lymph nodes (collections of immune cells) could cause blockages.
A blocked appendix could lead to infection if this tissue fills up with bacteria or viruses. If fluid is unable to drain out, the appendix may also burst open (rupture). This may occur quickly, within two or three days after symptoms begin.
A ruptured appendix can expose other tissues in your abdomen to bacteria, which can lead to other types of infections such as:
You are most likely to have appendicitis when you are between 10 and 30 years old. Your chance of developing this condition may be higher if you are a child or young adult with cystic fibrosis or have a family history of appendicitis.
Several things can cause abdominal pain. Your doctor can determine whether the pain is caused by appendicitis or something else by:
Appendicitis usually needs to be treated right away with a surgical procedure called an appendectomy in which your appendix is completely removed. Surgery is especially important if your appendix ruptures. There are two main types of appendectomies:
Because appendicitis generally leads to infection, you will likely also need to take antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
If a burst appendix causes other tissues to become infected, you may also need to have the infected areas removed during surgery. Abscesses need to be drained through a tube put through your abdomen. This procedure may need to be performed first before you have an appendectomy.
It will take a few weeks to heal from surgery following appendicitis. Your surgeon will likely tell you to rest for a couple of weeks after your procedure and to slowly increase your activity levels. You usually won’t experience any long-lasting health problems from having your appendix removed.