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A finger like pouch attached to the large intestine in the lower right abdomen is called appendix. This appendix is filled with appendix lumen, which when obstructed causes appendicitis. Increase in the appendix lumen is backed up mucus, causing the bacteria normally present in the mucus to multiply.
Hence the appendix gets infected and swollen, causing pain in the lower abdomen. In most of the cases appendicitis leads to surgical removal as it is can burst and spread the infection to other parts of the intestine.
Generally the symptoms of appendicitis denote disturbed bowel function. Mostly all the people experience the same kind of appendicitis symptoms, one of it being the abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is the first and foremost symptom which occurs suddenly near the belly button and then proceeds further to the lower right of the abdomen. This pain can be easily differentiated from all the other abdominal pain. The pain gets worse with time and may even get worse while moving around, coughing, taking a deep breath and sneezing. For children below 3 years, the pain gets localized in right iliac fossa after moving from the mid abdomen.
The pain is differentiated to sign based on the appendix position or association with other areas of the abdomen. Based on these signs appendicitis is diagnosed. Some of it includes Rovsing’s sign, Psoas sign, and Oburator sign etc. Pain may be caused in the right iliac fossa by pushing the contents of the bowel to the ileocaecal valve. This increases the pressure around the appendix indicating the Rovsing’s sign. Psoas sign indicates the retrocaecal orientation of the appendix and hence flexing the hip to fetal position relieves the pain. When the appendix is in contact with the obturator internus, it is called as Oburator sign. When cough increases the pain in the right lower abdomen, it is called as Dunphy’s sign.
Apart from pain, there are other symptoms of appendicitis like appetite loss, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal swelling, vomiting, low grade fever and difficulty to release gas which are experienced by many people. Abdominal pain, one of the main appendicitis symptoms, can also mimic other causes like intestinal obstruction, pelvic inflammatory disease, inflammatory disease and other gynecological disorders.
In case if the appendicitis symptoms is not taken as a serious note and if don't see a doctor, the problem might get worse. The appendix bursts open and lets the infected appendix lumen into the abdominal cavity. In this case, it is called as peritonitis. Peritonitis increases the temperature of the body and the patients looks clammy and pale. This situation needs hospitalization and surgical aid immediately. Treating the initial symptoms of appendicitis can prevent these complications, though this also includes surgical intervention, it avoids the infection in other parts of the abdomen.
