Introduction
The appendix is located in the right lower abdomen of the human being. Accordingly, pain in the right lower abdomen is typical for an appendicitis. Irritation of the appendix corresponds to a preliminary stage of appendicitis, which does not always have to end in appendicitis.
As the symptoms are often not clearly classifiable, the diagnosis is often difficult for the treating physician. Both irritation of the appendix and appendicitis occur more frequently in children between the ages of nine and fourteen. The word appendicitis is usually misused in the vernacular because it is not really an irritation of the appendix, but irritation of the vermiform appendix, which is the appendix that comes from the appendix.
Symptoms
Typical for an irritation of the appendix is pain in the right lower abdomen, which can develop into cramps. The pain that occurs with an appendicitis often starts around the navel and then shifts to the right lower abdomen. The intensity of the pain often changes and can also regress in the meantime.
In many patients, touching the abdominal wall causes the local musculature to contract and the pain to increase. Even a light touch through a blanket or clothing can sometimes cause severe pain. In this case one speaks of a defensive tension, which indicates an irritation of the peritoneum and often occurs in the context of a so-called acute abdomen.
However, this hardening of the abdominal wall does not occur in all patients, so that a lack of this symptomatology does not rule out an irritation of the appendix. Reflectively, the affected patients adopt a relieving posture by pulling their legs up while lying down in order to relax the abdomen and escape the pain. At the same time as the pain, there is often loss of appetite, vomiting, fever, chills and an increased pulse.
Due to the diffuse symptomatology of appendicitis, the pain is often dismissed as harmless abdominal pain and not treated further, so that dangerous appendicitis can develop. Especially small children often have a rather untypical clinical picture with diffuse pain. In older patients, however, the irritation often occurs without fever and without severe pain.
In pregnant women, the appendix has often slipped upwards, so that the typical pressure pain may be absent. This also applies to people with an unusual location of the appendix. Typical signs are above all the classic pain symptoms, as mentioned above, in connection with nausea, fatigue and slight fever.
A sensitive abdomen, which already hurts when touched, as well as nausea up to regular vomiting are further very frequent symptoms, which however rather speak for an inflammation. Fever, temperature differences and fatigue are very unspecific and also occur in many other diseases, but can increase the suspicion. The appendix tests described below can be a very good indication of an irritation of the appendix, if carried out and known correctly, and therefore, in combination with a typical pain symptomatology, are already sufficient to justify a therapy.
Fever is a very common symptom. It usually occurs in conjunction with general fatigue and weakness. A typical sign of appendicitis is a temperature difference of more than one degree when measured axillary and rectal, with the rectal temperature being elevated.
However, a strong and prolonged fever is more indicative of advanced irritation or inflammation of the appendix. The occurrence of sudden attacks of chills is also a sign of deterioration and that irritation has turned into inflammation. Back pain is a rare but possible symptom of appendicitis or appendix complaints.
In most cases the appendix is located at a typical site in the right lower abdomen of a person. However, as with everything, there are exceptions. It is possible that the appendix extends backwards and comes to rest in an area behind the actual abdominal cavity. In this case, back pain is the main cause, while abdominal pain is less severe or does not occur at all.