What are the symptoms of appendicitis?

Most people with appendicitis have classic symptoms that a doctor can easily identify. The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain.

The abdominal pain usually

* occurs suddenly, often causing a person to wake up at night
* occurs before other symptoms
* begins near the belly button and then moves lower and to the right
* is new and unlike any pain felt before
* gets worse in a matter of hours
* gets worse when moving around, taking deep breaths, coughing, or sneezing

Other symptoms of appendicitis may include

* loss of appetite
* nausea
* vomiting
* constipation or diarrhea
* inability to pass gas
* a low-grade fever that follows other symptoms
* abdominal swelling
* the feeling that passing stool will relieve discomfort

Symptoms vary and can mimic other sources of abdominal pain, including

* intestinal obstruction
* inflammatory bowel disease
* pelvic inflammatory disease and other gynecological disorders
* intestinal adhesions
* constipation