Appendicitis risk factors: who is more likely to get it

What appendicitis is

Appendicitis is inflammation of your appendix, a finger-like pouch attached to your large intestine in the lower right area of your abdomen (NIDDK). MedlinePlus explains that a blockage inside the appendix causes it: the blockage leads to increased pressure, problems with blood flow and inflammation (MedlinePlus).

In the United States, appendicitis is the most common cause of sudden (acute) abdominal pain that needs surgery. About 5 to 9 of every 100 people develop appendicitis at some point (NIDDK).

Who is more likely to get appendicitis

The NIH pages name only two risk factors, and neither can be changed:

• Age: it happens more often in people in their teens and 20s, but it may happen at any age, including in older adults (NIDDK). MedlinePlus says anyone can get appendicitis, but it is more common among people 10 to 30 years old (MedlinePlus).
• Sex: appendicitis is slightly more common among males than females (NIDDK).

What causes appendicitis

Appendicitis can have more than one cause, and in many cases the cause is not clear. Possible causes listed by NIDDK are (NIDDK):

• hardened stool or growths that block the opening inside the appendix;
• enlarged tissue in the wall of the appendix, caused by an infection in the digestive tract or somewhere else in the body;
• inflammatory bowel disease.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is pain in the abdomen. The pain may (NIDDK):

• begin near the belly button and move lower and to the right;
• start suddenly, and may even wake you if you are sleeping;
• get worse when you move around, take deep breaths, cough or sneeze;
• be severe and feel different from any pain you have felt before;
• come before other symptoms and get worse within hours.

Other symptoms may include loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, fever and a swollen abdomen. Some people have bowel problems, such as being unable to pass gas, constipation or diarrhea, or feeling that a bowel movement would relieve the discomfort (NIDDK). Not everyone with appendicitis has all these symptoms (MedlinePlus), and some people, especially children, may not have the typical symptoms at all (NIDDK).

Complications

Untreated appendicitis can make the appendix burst. That can lead to peritonitis, a serious infection that can spread in the abdomen, or to a pocket of pus called an appendiceal abscess (NIDDK). Untreated peritonitis can threaten your life (NIDDK).

Common questions

Can I lower my risk of appendicitis?

The NIH pages on this topic do not list any proven way to prevent appendicitis. The risk factors they name, age and sex, cannot be changed (NIDDK). What you can control is how fast you get care: prompt surgery lowers the chance that the appendix bursts (NIDDK).

Is appendicitis different in children?

It can be. NIDDK notes that some children with appendicitis do not have the typical symptoms, and advises talking with a doctor right away if your child has belly pain or discomfort (NIDDK).

How is it treated?

Doctors usually remove the appendix in an operation called an appendectomy, done either through small cuts with a camera (laparoscopic surgery) or through one larger cut (open laparotomy). Anyone who might have appendicitis gets antibiotics before surgery. Some mild cases may be treated with antibiotics alone, but surgery remains the standard of care (NIDDK). Most people recover completely and do not need to change their diet, exercise or lifestyle afterward (NIDDK).

Is there an appendicitis risk calculator?

Not one for checking yourself at home. Doctors use bedside scores together with an exam and tests to judge how likely appendicitis is in someone who already has belly pain. For healthcare professionals, see the Alvarado score calculator and the Pediatric Appendicitis Score. A score is not a reason to wait: belly pain that could be appendicitis needs a doctor right away (NIDDK).

Also see gallstones risk factors and pancreatitis risk factors, two other causes of sudden belly pain.