How many days appendicitis

But Dr. Go to the emergency room or call your doctor right away if you notice new or worsening pain. For pregnant women, they will experience pain in the upper right side. Left untreated, an infection can cause your appendix to burst. This can spread the infection and may cause inflammation in the lining of the abdomen. While you may think you just have stomach pains, pay attention to where the pain is in your abdomen. If you have appendicitis, you will start feeling a dull, aching pain located in your lower right quadrant.

To help reduce this, do not take codeine painkillers, eat plenty of fibre , and drink plenty of fluids. Before leaving hospital, you'll be advised about caring for your wound and what activities you should avoid.

You should be able to return to normal activities in a couple of weeks, although you may need to avoid more strenuous activities for 4 to 6 weeks after open surgery. Removal of the appendix is one of the most commonly performed operations in the UK, and serious or long-term complications are rare.

The use of general anaesthetic also carries some risks, such as the risk of an allergic reaction or inhaling stomach contents, leading to pneumonia. The lump is made of appendix and fatty tissue, and is the body's way of trying to deal with the problem and heal itself. If an appendix mass is found during an examination, your doctor may decide it's not necessary to operate immediately.

Instead, you'll be given a course of antibiotics and an appointment to have an operation a few weeks later, when the mass has settled. There's not enough clear evidence to suggest that antibiotics could be used to treat appendicitis as an alternative to surgery.

Page last reviewed: 18 February Next review due: 18 February This is because it's considered safer to remove the appendix than risk it bursting.

Appendicectomy appendectomy Removal of the appendix is carried out under general anaesthetic using either keyhole or open surgery.

This operation is usually carried out on an emergency basis to treat appendicitis inflamed appendix. This may occur as a result of an obstruction in part of the appendix.

Another name for this operation is an appendicectomy. Some common symptoms of appendicitis are nausea, vomiting, constipation and pain.

The pain is initially felt in the centre of the abdomen and later moves to become a sharper pain in the right lower abdomen. The area is tender to the touch. Occasionally, some of these symptoms may be absent and it becomes necessary to investigate the abdominal cavity to make a diagnosis. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is blocked and becomes infected due to an invasion of intestinal bacteria.

There is no single cause, but appendicitis may be due to:. If appendicitis is left untreated, it may cause the appendix to rupture burst. If the appendix ruptures, the infected contents flow into the abdominal cavity. This can cause a much more serious medical emergency known as peritonitis, which is inflammation of the membranes lining the abdominal wall and organs. Without prompt treatment, peritonitis can be life threatening. Surgery is the preferred treatment for appendicitis. Delaying the operation in the hope that the appendix will 'settle down' only increases the risk of suffering a ruptured appendix.

Once in hospital, your temperature, pulse, breathing pattern and blood pressure will be charted. If the surgeon suspects your appendix shows signs that it may rupture, you will be taken to the operating theatre as soon as possible.

Where the diagnosis is less clear, further examination using methods such as CT scans or ultrasound and blood tests may be needed before a decision to operate can be made. The type of operation you have will depend on how severe your appendicitis is. The surgeon will discuss your options with you. If there is anything you want to know or are not clear about, it is important to ask your doctor or surgeon to explain it in terms you can understand. A laparoscopic appendectomy may need to become open surgery if the appendix has ruptured.

Health Tools. Reviewed: May 30, Medically Reviewed. Chronic Appendicitis When people talk about appendicitis, they're usually referring to acute appendicitis, which generally begins with abdominal pain around the belly button that then migrates to the lower right abdomen and intensifies. Numerous other symptoms can follow, including: Nausea Low-grade fever Vomiting Constipation Diarrhea Loss of appetite Inability to pass gas or stool Acute appendicitis is typically caused by an abdominal infection that has spread to the appendix, or an obstruction — such as hardened stool, a foreign object, or an ulcer — that has blocked up the appendiceal lumen the inner cavity of the appendix.

Sources of the partial blockage include: Calcified fecal deposits called fecaliths Enlarged lymph tissue on the wall of the appendix Tumors Foreign objects such as pins, stones, and bullets Over time, the inflammation of the appendix will worsen, and its internal pressure will build. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. American Surgeon. March Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology. May Chronic Appendicitis in Children. Canadian Family Physician. June