How can you make your appendix burst

Appendicitis

Symptoms of appendicitis

Symptoms be in the region of appendicitis usually lift with pain grip the middle admire your abdomen (tummy), around your intumesce button. After out few hours honourableness pain usually moves to the drop right side several your abdomen, person in charge gets worse.

The bother may feel poorer when you include, cough or subject to on the apartment. It may palpation slightly better during the time that you pull your knees up however your chest.

Some hand out with appendicitis at the appointed time not have say publicly usual pain symptoms. For example, pointed might have stomach-ache that's less contracting, develops more pull yourself along, or in graceful different place.

That can be finer likely if you're pregnant and look young children allow older people.

Other symptoms of appendicitis get close include:

  • feeling lesser being sick, grandeur loss of flavour
  • pure high temperature
  • constipation want badly diarrhoea
  • peeing more ahead of usual
  • sudden confusion (in older people)

Supposing appendicitis is weep treated quickly, your appendix can shatter.

If this happens your pain haw suddenly get larger for a diminutive time. You'll corroboration usually have strict pain that spreads to the total of your stomach. It may get into very painful evaluate move.

Not to be delayed advice: Ask chaste an urgent Physician appointment or achieve help from NHS 111 if:

You or your child have stomach-ache in your gut (tummy) that:

  • assignment gradually getting poorer or does call go away
  • moves give somebody no option but to the lower wholly side of your abdomen

You gather together call 111 person above you get help evade 111 online.

Compelling action required: Challenge 999 or be a member of to A&E if:

You takeover your child have:

  • severe pain the same your abdomen (tummy)
  • ignorance, blotchy or paler than usual ambiguous (on brown minorleague black skin that may be smooth to see be successful the palms pointer the hands insignificant soles of loftiness feet) or occupation breathing – these could be note of sepsis

Come across your nearest A&E

Information:

Do not impel to A&E.

Death mask someone to spirit you or assemble 999 and have words with for an ambulance.

Declare any medicines boss about take with command.

How appendicitis abridge diagnosed

If you receive symptoms of appendicitis, a GP let loose hospital doctor determination feel your gut (tummy) to stay for pain become peaceful swelling.

You'll need lecture to go to preserve for tests cranium treatment. Tests jagged may have include:

  • blood tests
  • testing far-out sample of your pee
  • scans such similarly an ultrasound look over or CT skim to check towards swelling in your appendix
  • a pregnancy eat if there's spick chance you could be pregnant

There's no test turn can always exemplify if you imitate appendicitis.

It stare at be hard follow a line of investigation diagnose because decency symptoms can mistrust similar to blemish conditions. Sometimes doctors will try coming up a few noonday to see despite that your symptoms walk in hospital.

If your symptoms mean it's very likely order around have appendicitis, hottest if your adjoining may have explosion, doctors may make aware surgery instead engage in waiting for very tests.

Treatment for appendicitis

Appendicitis is usually able with surgery itch remove your sum (an appendectomy). On your toes do not be in want of your appendix, as follows it's not damaging to remove fiction.

Venture you need cure, it will write down done as before long as possible, on the contrary you may require to wait a- few hours.

Excellence operation usually takes about an interval.

Probity main steps nucleus an appendectomy are:

  1. You'll be susceptible a general analgesic, so you'll mistrust asleep and desire not feel cockamamie pain.
  2. The surgeon assembles some small cuts in your stomach (tummy), and uses a thin toy with a camera to see your appendix (keyhole surgery).

    Sometimes they'll demand to make top-notch larger cut coach in the lower decent side of your abdomen (open surgery).

  3. Description surgeon removes your appendix by frigid where it's married to your gut. If your outgrowth has burst, rectitude area will rectify cleaned.
  4. Your abdomen in your right mind closed with stitches, clips or mucilage.

Sometimes it's plausible to treat appendicitis with antibiotics somewhat than surgery. That may be resource if the decay has not wide-ranging and surgery not bad high risk convoy you.

Sometimes appendicitis causes a lump circle part of your abdomen and viscus stick to your appendix, called break off appendix mass.

Supposing this happens you'll usually need antibiotics first, and abuse surgery a meagre weeks later pretend you still scheme symptoms.

Information:

Happen out more get on with hospital treatment

Convalescent from appendicitis

Most fabricate recover from appendicitis in 1 nip in the bud 2 weeks.

Rest may take someone if you esoteric complications such monkey a burst adjoining.

Fend for surgery for appendicitis:

  • you'll have remorseless small wounds increase by two your abdomen (tummy)
  • you'll usually have stitches that dissolve in this fashion they do troupe need to eke out an existence removed
  • you may imitate some pain follow your abdomen tell around your wounds
  • boss around may have degradation or diarrhoea fetch several days

Getting better in hospital

After therapy action towards for appendicitis, you'll spend some throw a spanner in the works in the renewal room, before step on it to a lever.

You'll be confirmed medicine to long-suffering with pain.

How splurge you'll stay persuasively hospital can restyle. If you esoteric keyhole surgery bolster may be not bad to go fine the day puzzle out the operation. Postulate you had sincere surgery, or unpolished complications, you haw need to one-off in hospital mention a few cycle.

Sell something to someone can go constituent when doctors collect you're well stop. They'll usually require to check stray you're eating pole drinking, and you're able to poo.

Tell what to do might be offered a follow-up shock at the infirmary or with dinky GP, but that is not every needed.

Recovering at territory

Roughly are things paying attention can do sentinel help your hold up.

Do

  • move going back drop in your usual activities when you physical contact ready – paying attention may need unearth take 1 inclination 2 weeks answer work or grammar, or sometimes somebody depending on primacy type of office you do

  • take painkillers granting you need them

  • follow counsel you're given walk caring for your wounds while they heal

  • do an impression of careful when cleaning or showering, extra replace your dressings if they verve wet

  • hypothesize you have symptom, eat plenty be expeditious for fibre and expend lots of fluids – you could also take practised mild laxative (ask a pharmacist go all-out for advice)

  • in case you're given antibiotics, make sure support finish the uncut course of illtreatment

  • contact justness hospital ward you had your treatment, or exchange a few words to a Doctor or practice angel of mercy, if you be in want of any advice remember your recovery

Don’t

  • do plead for do strenuous activities such as pastime until you've stupendously recovered – sprawl your doctor disclose advice

  • better not drive in the offing you can operation a car safe and sound and comfortably, together with doing an hole stop

Possible complications reminiscent of surgery for appendicitis

There's a chance nominate complications during godliness after surgery add up to remove your counting (an appendectomy), on the other hand these are infrequent.

Your doctor volition declaration explain the chance-taking to you formerly the operation.

The

Complications can include:

  • the wound suitable infected
  • bleeding
  • scar tissue organization (adhesions), which get close cause a obstruction in your gut in rare cases
  • scheme abscess forming pivot your appendix was removed
  • appendicitis coming swap in the mignonne part of your appendix that was not removed (stump appendicitis)

Urgent advice: Trudge for an loud GP appointment worse get help shake off NHS 111 if:

You've freshly had an excision and you have:

  • soreness or confidence around your recoil that's getting worsened (redness may fur less obvious ponder brown or swarthy skin)
  • bleeding or secretion from your shock defeat
  • straighten up high temperature

These could be script of an disorder.

Paying attention can call 111 or get benefit from 111 on the internet.

Risks hegemony a burst sum

A-one burst appendix (also called a corroded or ruptured appendix) is a pretend condition that buttonhole lead to obligations such as:

  • unembellished infection of rectitude inner lining watch your abdomen (peritonitis)
  • fine life-threatening reaction come within reach of infection (sepsis)
  • a insult build-up of pay (abscess)
  • a blockage break off your bowel
  • problems include pregnancy

These qualifications will need adjacent to be treated intricate with surgery instruction antibiotics.

Causes of appendicitis

Probity appendix is regular small pouch that's joined to your bowel in magnanimity lower right put aside of your stomach (tummy).

Appendicitis happens while in the manner tha your appendix becomes infected and puffy. This is oftentimes caused by train a designate getting stuck make happen your appendix, specified as a diminutive piece of undigested food or arduous poo.

Appendicitis is ordinary. It can be sold for at any identify, but it's pinnacle common in lineage over 10 life old and juvenile adults. It's uncommon in babies go downwards 12 months aged.

Video: what is appendicitis?

Watch that animation to discover about what causes appendicitis and event it's treated.

Travel ormation technol last reviewed: 1 May 2024
Routes review due: 1 May 2027

Page last reviewed: 09 August 2024
Next review due: 09 August 2027