Do you have pain in the belly?

Sure, it can be appendicitis. It is not a very common cause of abdominal pain, but it is something that many people worry about because it requires immediate medical attention.

What is it?

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. Anyone can get appendicitis, but it occurs most often between the ages of 10 and 30.

The appendix is a small, tube-like structure attached to the first part of the large intestine, also called the colon. The appendix is located in the lower right portion of the abdomen. It has no known function. Removal of the appendix appears to cause no change in digestive function. The causes of appendicitis are generally unknown, but the leading theory is that obstruction of the appendiceal orifice is the inciting factor.

• pain in the abdomen, first around the belly button, then moving to the lower right area
• nausea, vomiting
• constipation or diarrhea
• inability to pass gas
• low fever that begins after other symptoms
• abdominal swelling

Not everyone with appendicitis has all the symptoms. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging tests are used to diagnose appendicitis.

More on the Diagnosis

There is no way to prevent appendicitis. Once it starts, there is no effective medical therapy, so appendicitis is considered a medical emergency. When treated promptly, most patients recover without difficulty. If treatment is delayed, the appendix can burst, causing infection and even death.

Specific treatment for appendicitis will be determined by your physician based on:

· your age, overall health, and medical history

· extent of the condition

· your tolerance of specific medicines, procedures, or therapies

· expectations for the course of the condition

· your opinion or preference

Surgery to remove the appendix is the main treatment. The operation may be performed through a standard small incision in the right lower part of the abdomen, or it may be performed using
a laparoscope, which requires three to four smaller incisions.

In nearly 15% of operations for appendicitis, the appendix is found to be normal. However, delaying surgery until the cause of the abdominal pain is certain can be fatal: An infected appendix can rupture less than 24 hours after symptoms begin. If appendicitis is found,
the appendix is removed (appendectomy). Even when appendicitis is not found to be the cause, the appendix is usually removed.

If the diagnosis is uncertain, people may be watched and sometimes treated with antibiotics. This approach is taken when the doctor suspects that the patient's symptoms may have a nonsurgical or medically treatable cause.

With an early operation, the chance of death from appendicitis is very low. The person can usually leave the hospital in 2 or 3 days, and convalescence is normally quick and complete. For a ruptured appendix, the prognosis is more serious. Fifty years ago, a rupture often was fatal. Surgery and antibiotics have lowered the death rate to nearly zero, but repeated operations and a long convalescence may be necessary.

Two hundred years after its anatomical description, the appendix was observed to be the site of inflammatory disease. This was not widely accepted until the publication by Fitz 120 years later. Appendiceal disease has clearly affected the course of history.