How can you tell your appendix burst

Most of us have a friend or at least a friend-of-a-friend that has experienced appendicitis. Because appendicitis is fairly common, many people don’t realize just how serious this condition actually is. In fact, untreated appendicitis can lead to life-threatening complications. To ensure your health and safety, signs and symptoms of appendicitis should be evaluated immediately by a medical professional. The award-winning team of board-certified emergency room physicians at iCare ER & Urgent Care is highly experienced in the early detection and treatment of appendicitis in Frisco and Fort Worth, TX. Learn more about appendicitis here, including what may happen if your appendix ruptures and what to do if you suspect appendicitis.

What is the appendix?

Many physicians and medical experts believe that the appendix, which is a thin, pouch-like tube that lies near the meeting point of the small and large intestines, does not serve any essential function in the body. However, some speculate that the appendix may play an important role in the digestive tract. In any case, most agree that the appendix can be safely removed if needed – as in the event of appendicitis – without posing any threat to the patient.

What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis is a fairly common condition involving inflammation and/or infection of the appendix. The precise cause of appendicitis is not well understood, and it can affect anyone at any time, though it is more frequently seen in children. Because appendicitis can lead to widespread infection, a ruptured appendix, and other severe or life-threatening complications, almost immediate diagnosis and treatment are necessary.

How do I know if I have appendicitis?

Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of appendicitis often mimic those of other conditions, making it a difficult ailment to self-diagnose. Additionally, appendicitis symptoms may initially be subtle or confusing, particularly in pregnant women and older patients. In infants and children, appendicitis is often mistaken for a stomach bug and left untreated, leading to dangerous complications. To avoid worsening symptoms and more serious infections, it is important to understand how to identify the signs of appendicitis and when a visit to the ER is necessary. The most common symptoms of appendicitis include:

• Sudden onset of abdominal pain
• Abdominal pain that migrates and settles in the lower right side
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal bloating or swelling
• Pain with physical activity

If you think you or your loved one may be experiencing appendix pain or other symptoms of appendicitis, it is important to visit your nearest Frisco or Fort Worth ER immediately. During your visit to iCare ER & Urgent Care, you will be evaluated promptly and may undergo lab work, imaging studies, and other tests to determine with certainty whether your symptoms are related to appendicitis.

What happens when your appendix bursts?

When appendicitis is left untreated, bacteria and pus begin to build up in the appendix and cause it to swell. Ultimately, the wall of the appendix is compromised, allowing the pus and other bacteria to ooze out into the abdominal cavity. Though it is not an explosive event, this is referred to as bursting or rupturing of the appendix. As the infection spreads throughout the abdomen, patients often experience worsening symptoms, including high fever and severe pain.

Most cases of a ruptured appendix occur about 48 – 72 hours after the onset of symptoms. A ruptured appendix is always considered an emergency and requires immediate treatment. If left untreated, a ruptured appendix can lead to widespread infection, abscess, sepsis (an infection in the bloodstream), and even death.

If it has been determined that your appendix has burst, you will likely require almost immediate surgery to remove the appendix and clean the abdominal cavity, followed by an extended course of antibiotic therapy to ensure the infection has been cleared.

Don’t risk your life by ignoring appendix pain. Visit your closest ER for almost immediate appendicitis treatment in Frisco or Fort Worth.

If you are having abdominal pain and think it may be related to your appendix, don’t wait to seek treatment. Appendicitis and a ruptured appendix are critical conditions that require rapid diagnosis and care. To find out for sure whether you may be suffering from appendicitis, visit your nearest iCare ER & Urgent Care in Frisco or Fort Worth, TX to be seen by our expert team of board-certified ER physicians and medical professionals today.

Read on to learn how to recognize the symptoms of a ruptured appendix, what to do if you think you might have one, and how it's treated.

Ruptured Appendix Causes

A ruptured appendix is a complication of appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix.

The causes of appendicitis aren't completely understood, but experts think they include:

• Infection in the digestive tract
• Feces that harden and block the appendix
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

If the inflammation isn't treated, the appendix can swell and become filled with pus, making the lining rupture or tear. The contents then leak into the abdomen, which spreads the infection.

How Common Is a Ruptured Appendix?

About 1 in 1,000 people in the U.S. develop appendicitis. One study of people diagnosed with appendicitis found that 22.3% of those people developed a burst appendix.

Signs of a Ruptured Appendix

The typical first sign of appendicitis, which can lead to a ruptured appendix, is pain near your belly button. If it gets worse and spreads to the right side of your lower abdomen, that's the next indication. It can also start in the right side of your lower abdomen, where your appendix is located.

You may also experience:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Low fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Pain that worsens when moving, breathing deeply, coughing, or sneezing
• Pain when the area is lightly pressed

Signs of a ruptured appendix include:

• Pain lessens and then returns in a more severe form
• Pain is all over your abdomen

The pain may go away for a few hours because the rupture releases pressure, but serious infection can set in quickly. A rupture can happen within two to three days after the pain starts.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Appendicitis can become a serious medical emergency quickly. If you have pain near your belly button that moves down to a lower part of your stomach on the right side, call your healthcare provider immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911.

Treatment

If your appendix ruptures, you need emergency surgery called an appendectomy to remove it.

Healthcare providers may be able to make a small incision and perform surgery with a lighted tube and camera, called a laparoscopy (or laparoscopic surgery). Often, they will need to make a larger incision, called a laparotomy, for an open surgery to clean out the infection that leaked into the abdomen.

After the surgery, you will be given antibiotics to eradicate any remaining infection. Your healthcare provider will give you antibiotics through an IV (intravenous) line into a vein in your arm. They will also give you antibiotic pills to take when you get home. It's important that you take all the medication as directed by your healthcare provider.

In some cases, appendicitis leads to an abscess, which is a pocket of pus. The abscess will need to drain before you can have surgery. Healthcare providers can do this with a procedure while you're sedated, and then give you antibiotics for a period of time before your appendectomy.

Complications

When an appendix bursts, it releases bacteria into the abdomen. That may cause peritonitis, an infection of the lining of your abdomen, which can be fatal.

There is also a risk of sepsis, a life-threatening infection in the bloodstream.

Surgical complications from an appendectomy are uncommon, but may include:

• Infection
• Abscess
• Fistula, or abnormal passage, between your abdominal organs and skin
• Small bowel obstruction
• Ileus (a condition in which the bowel does not contract normally)
• Adhesions, or scar-like tissue, inside your stomach

Prevention

Currently, there is no known way to prevent appendicitis. However, if you notice symptoms, you can prevent them from becoming more severe by contacting your healthcare provider or going to the emergency room right immediately.

Appendectomies, whether the appendix has burst or not, are generally considered emergency surgeries.

Summary

A ruptured appendix is when the appendix (the small tube at the end of the large intestine) tears. It is a medical emergency. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have severe pain near your belly button, which moves to the lower right side of your abdomen.

If the pain goes away but comes back and hurts even more, your appendix may have ruptured. In that case, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Don't ignore symptoms of appendicitis. Surgical removal of your appendix is a relatively simple surgery if the appendix has not ruptured.

A Word From Verywell

We all get stomach pain sometimes, but being alert to unusual kinds of pain that can get very serious very quickly is important. If you have pain near your belly button, pay attention to it and monitor if it moves down or goes away and comes back. If it does, don't waste time—go to the emergency room or call 911 right away. Surgery can save your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a ruptured appendix life-threatening?

  A ruptured appendix can be life-threatening when bacteria from the rupture spreads into the abdomen or gets into the bloodstream. Surgery and antibiotics can treat a ruptured appendix, but it must be done quickly.

• How painful is a ruptured appendix?

  Appendicitis, which can lead to a ruptured appendix, is a very sharp pain that appears suddenly. It may get worse if you cough or when you move. If it goes away and comes back and is even worse, the appendix may have ruptured.

• What are the early warning signs of appendicitis?

  Appendicitis symptoms can be similar to other conditions that cause abdominal pain. Watch for pain near your belly button or on the lower right side of your abdomen, where your appendix is located.

  Would I know if my appendix burst?

  Dr. Vieder says a person with a burst appendix will be in “excruciating pain,” and any movement can bother them. “Coughing or sneezing will hurt, and bouncing during walking will cause pain your abdomen,” he says. “These are indicators that you have something significant going on.”

  What does burst appendix pain feel like?

  Appendicitis typically starts with a pain in the middle of your tummy (abdomen) that may come and go. Within hours, the pain travels to the lower right-hand side, where the appendix usually lies, and becomes constant and severe. Pressing on this area, coughing or walking may make the pain worse.

  Can you survive a burst appendix?

  For a ruptured appendix, the prognosis is more serious. Decades ago, a rupture was often fatal. Surgery and antibiotics have lowered the death rate to nearly zero, but repeated operations and a long recovery may be necessary.