Introduction
Appendicitis is a disease that occurs particularly frequently in children and should definitely be treated by a doctor. There are various symptoms that can indicate whether appendicitis may be present. However, the assessment of whether appendicitis is the most likely cause of the symptoms can ultimately only be made by an experienced surgeon. Ultimately, appendicitis can only be detected or ruled out by surgical removal of the organ. Typical symptoms of appendicitis in children are severe or increasing abdominal pain, fever and listlessness.
Overview of possible symptoms
The leading symptom, where appendicitis in children must be considered, is abdominal pain, which is indicated in the right lower abdomen. At the beginning of the disease, however, the symptoms are often located more in the right upper abdomen or in the middle of the navel. An aggravating factor for small children is that they often cannot give an exact indication of where the pain is most severe.
In the course of the disease, the pain usually becomes increasingly severe in the case of appendicitis. The child then often only wants to lie down and may even adopt a bent, relieving position. Besides pain, fever is a typical symptom of appendicitis.
At best, the temperature should be measured rectally. However, a normally measured body temperature does not rule out appendicitis. Many children who fall ill with appendicitis have nausea as accompanying symptoms and may have to vomit.
In addition, they usually have no appetite or at least less appetite. The child’s abdomen can also be hardened in appendicitis, and slight pressure often increases the existing pain. Another symptom that can occur is constipation.
Diarrhea, on the other hand, is more likely to be caused by gastroenteritis than the symptoms, but in some cases it can also occur in the case of appendicitis. Since the symptoms are often inconclusive and laypersons are hardly able to make an assessment, the child should be promptly examined by a doctor if abdominal pain does not subside or worsens and other of the possible symptoms mentioned. You can find more detailed information here: Symptoms of appendicitisFever is a non-specific symptom that can occur in all possible inflammatory reactions in the body.
The most common cause of fever in children are harmless infections of the respiratory tract or gastrointestinal tract, for example, which usually do not require any special treatment. However, fever can also be a side effect of appendicitis. If abdominal pain is associated with fever, such an illness should therefore be considered.
Typical for a fever reaction in appendicitis is a significant increase in the rectally measured temperature with often only slightly increased values in the mouth, ears or under the arm. Such a constellation increases the suspicion that appendicitis may be present, but like all other symptoms, it does not in itself constitute proof. Conversely, appendicitis can also be present when no fever can be measured.
Abdominal pain is one of the most common health problems in children. It can have a variety of possible causes, but only in a few cases is it a serious illness requiring treatment. Appendicitis should be considered if the child has no other abdominal pain or if the pain is particularly severe or unusual.
The child’s behavior should also be observed. If the child is less active because of the abdominal pain and does not want to walk or play, for example, a serious illness should be considered. In case of doubt, if the abdominal pain is severe or steadily increasing, the child should be introduced to the family doctor or pediatrician as soon as possible.
A hardening of the child’s abdomen can have various causes and may also occur with appendicitis. However, hardening of the abdomen is often the result of digestive problems that lead to constipation. Excessive bloating of the intestinal loops caused by intestinal gases can also be a cause.
In appendicitis, the abdomen usually remains soft and can be squeezed in, but depending on the progression of the inflammation, with pain-related defensive tension in the middle upper abdomen or right lower abdomen.However, if the entire abdomen feels hard and any manipulation of the abdominal wall leads to severe pain and defensive tension, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible, since there is probably an inflammation of the peritoneum and thus of the entire abdominal cavity. Peritonitis, also called peritonitis, is a severe complication of appendicitis. The peritoneum is a double-layered skin that lines all organs in the abdomen.
In the course of appendicitis, intestinal bacteria can escape into the abdomen – the most common pathogen in this case is the intestinal bacterium Escherichia coli – which infects the peritoneum and thus leads to an inflammation of the entire abdominal cavity. This is a life-threatening infection that requires the fastest possible therapy. If a child, who normally eats well and enjoys eating, suddenly feels no appetite anymore, this is often due to the fact that he or she becomes ill.
Harmless illnesses such as a stomach flu or a cold are often possible causes for loss of appetite. A serious illness such as appendicitis can also manifest itself through loss of appetite as an accompanying symptom. However, abdominal pain usually occurs, which usually increases further as the disease progresses.
Appendicitis can be associated with constipation. On the one hand, constipation or a tendency to hard stool over a longer period of time can be a cause of appendicitis, since the intestinal passage is slowed down and an infection of the appendix with intestinal bacteria is favored. On the other hand, constipation or lack of bowel movement can be the consequence of appendicitis, since the inflammatory reaction can inhibit the movements of the intestinal muscles.
If a child, who otherwise never has digestive problems, suddenly suffers from constipation and also reports abdominal pain, appendicitis should therefore be considered as a possible cause and a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. On the other hand, a normal bowel movement does not rule out appendicitis. Although diarrhoea makes gastroenteritis more likely as the cause of the symptoms, it can also occur in the case of appendicitis.
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