Appendicitis facts for kids
Appendicitis is when your appendix gets swollen and painful.
The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch. It sticks out from the beginning of your large intestine.
Appendicitis often happens because something blocks the appendix. This could be a small piece of stool (poop), a swollen lymph node, or even tiny seeds. When it's blocked, bacteria can grow quickly inside. This causes pus to fill the appendix, making it swell up.
Contents
What are the Symptoms?
If you have appendicitis, you might feel pain in your abdomen (tummy). This pain often starts around your belly button and then moves to the lower right side of your tummy.
Other signs can include:
- A fever
- Feeling sick to your stomach or throwing up
- Not wanting to eat
- A fast heart rate
Why is Appendicitis Dangerous?
If appendicitis is not treated, the swollen appendix can sometimes burst. If it bursts, bacteria can spread inside your body. This can cause a serious infection in other parts of your tummy, called peritonitis. It's very important to get help quickly if you think you have appendicitis.
How is Appendicitis Treated?
Most of the time, doctors treat appendicitis with surgery. This surgery is called an appendectomy. During an appendectomy, the doctor removes the appendix. Sometimes, if the appendicitis is mild, it might get better without surgery, but this is less common.
You can't really prevent appendicitis. It's not caused by anything you did or didn't do. However, some people think that eating lots of vegetables might help keep your digestive system healthy.
History of Appendicitis
The first clear description of acute appendicitis was made in 1886 by a doctor named Reginald Fitz.
Appendicitis is one of the most common reasons why people worldwide get severe tummy pain.
Images for kids
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A 3D model showing what appendicitis looks like.
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Appendicitis as seen on a CT scan.
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An ultrasound image of acute appendicitis.
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An X-ray showing a fecalith (a small, hard piece of stool) that caused appendicitis. The arrow points to it.
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An appendicolith (a calcified mass in the appendix) seen on a plain X-ray.
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A coronal CT scan of someone who was thought to have appendicitis but actually had an inflamed gallbladder.
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The stitches after laparoscopic surgery to remove the appendix.
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An ultrasound showing appendicitis and an appendicolith.
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An ultrasound of a normal appendix for comparison.
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A normal appendix without and with compression. If it doesn't compress, it might be appendicitis.
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A microscope image of appendicitis.
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A microscope image of appendicitis showing white blood cells.
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Acute appendicitis with a perforation (a small hole) on the right side.
See also
In Spanish: Apendicitis para niños
