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Appendicitis: the signs, why it cannot wait, and surgery
For anyone with belly pain that is getting worse, a parent with a child in pain, or someone told they need their appendix out. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, the most common cause of sudden belly pain that needs surgery, and a medical emergency: quick treatment prevents most complications. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs, why it cannot wait, who gets it and what a burst appendix means, what a doctor will ask and the tests, surgery and antibiotics, and recovery. It builds the words to say at the emergency room, and prints a card with the answers a doctor will ask for.
Right now
- Think you or your child could have appendicitis? NIDDK says it is a medical emergency: see a doctor or go to the emergency room right away. Do not wait to see if it passes (ours).
- The person fainted, is very hard to wake or confused, or is in too much pain to move safely: call 911 (ours).
- Pain that started near the belly button and moved to the lower right, or that gets worse by the hour, or when moving, coughing or breathing deeply, is how NIDDK says appendicitis pain may feel. Children may not have the typical signs (NIDDK).
More help
- Other belly troubles: An upset stomach: find the right page · Food poisoning and stomach bugs · Constipation in adults · Gallstones · Peptic ulcers.
- A child: A baby or child: find the right page · Vomiting and diarrhea in a baby or child · Fever in a baby or child.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · Medical bills · My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment · Pregnancy and a new baby.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 15, 2026 on NIDDK’s Appendicitis pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment (last reviewed July 2021). Ours: not waiting to see whether it passes; calling 911 when the person faints, is very hard to wake or confused, or is in too much pain to move safely; not driving yourself when the pain is bad; with a child, going in when the pain is bad or getting worse even without the usual signs; telling the staff you are or could be pregnant; having the answers to the doctor’s questions ready; asking before you go home which signs mean call back; asking about the bill and help paying rather than staying away; and the order of the steps. What we left out: medicine names, doses, anything about eating or drinking before you are seen (NIDDK’s pages do not say), and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.