Appendicitis

Appendicitis is an inflamed appendix. It can cause acute (sudden, intense) pain in your lower abdomen. Your appendix is a small, tubular pouch, about the size of a finger, that protrudes from the lower right end of your large intestine. Poop (feces) moving through your large intestine can block or infect your appendix, leading to inflammation. Inflammation causes your appendix to swell, and when it swells, it can burst.

A burst appendix is a medical emergency. It spreads bacteria from inside your bowels throughout your abdominal cavity. This infection (peritonitis) can then spread to your bloodstream, which can lead to life-threatening complications (sepsis). Because of this risk, the standard treatment for appendicitis is to remove your appendix (appendectomy). Your appendix isn’t an essential organ, and you won’t miss it.

What is acute appendicitis vs. chronic appendicitis?

Appendicitis is almost always an acute condition, which means it begins suddenly and worsens quickly. Most of what we know about appendicitis refers to acute appendicitis, which is very common. Chronic appendicitis is a rare condition that we don’t know as much about. It appears to occur when something irritates your appendix in an on-and-off sort of way over a long period, but it never gets worse.

Chronic appendicitis may go unrecognized because the symptoms don’t escalate the way they do in acute appendicitis. But any type of appendicitis is serious. If you have chronic abdominal pain and you don’t know what causes it, it’s important to see a healthcare provider about it. Chronic appendicitis may worsen or become acute at any time. Because of this risk, healthcare providers treat it the same way.

How common is appendicitis?

Acute appendicitis is common, especially between the ages of 10 and 30. Appendicitis in children is most common during the teen years, but younger children also get it. In the U.S., about 5% of the population will get acute appendicitis in their lifetime. It’s the leading cause of abdominal pain leading to emergency abdominal surgery. Chronic appendicitis occurs in approximately 1% of the population.