Appendicitis can be a life-threatening medical emergency, so it's important to know the symptoms. One of the first signs of appendicitis in women is pain near the navel that progresses to the lower right side of the abdomen. Fever may also be present and accompanied by nausea or vomiting. A diagnosis can be made by performing an ultrasound, x-ray, or blood test.
The appendix is located in the lower abdomen and is connected to the large intestine. When inflammation of this organ initially occurs, pain can develop in the mid-abdominal area near the naval area. After a while, the pain usually spreads to the lower right corner of the abdomen. The amount of time it takes for this pain to spread varies from individual to individual, and can be anywhere from a few hours to days or weeks.
The areas of the abdomen where pain is present may feel sore or tender to the touch. In some cases, the area may also look swollen. The pain usually does not extend to the pelvic region, so it can be easily distinguished from menstrual cramps.
Pregnant women may not initially feel some of the abdominal pain that other women feel. The first sign may be moderate to severe pain in the lower abdominal area, which can sometimes mimic Braxton Hicks or false contractions. For this reason, expectant women should see their doctor any time abdominal pain occurs.
After experiencing pain on the right side, one of the next signs of appendicitis in women is nausea or vomiting. This may be accompanied by a loss of appetite. In the early stages of pregnancy, these conditions are often attributed to morning sickness rather than being recognized as symptoms of appendicitis.
When women have an inflamed appendix, they may also experience a fever. This is because appendicitis is an infection of this organ. The white blood cell count can be extremely high, which often makes it easy to diagnose this condition when drawing the patient's blood.
Many signs of appendicitis in women are very similar to those in men. Still, women can sometimes mistake their symptoms for other conditions, such as pelvic inflammatory disease. Removal of the appendix is normally recommended for people suffering from inflammation in this organ. For this reason, both sexes should seek medical advice if they have severe abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and fever.