Appendix burst what does it feel like

Other symptoms of peritonitis can include:. In most cases of peritonitis, a surgeon will remove your appendix immediately and clean the inside of your abdomen to prevent infection.

Doctors sometimes try to treat the abscess or peritonitis with antibiotics and drainage before conducting an appendectomy. Treatments usually involve draining any pus from the abdomen and fighting the infection with strong antibiotics for several weeks.

A research review published in June by the Cochrane Database compared early versus delayed appendectomy in cases of complicated appendicitis. They concluded that more and better-quality data — concerning length of hospital stay and health-related quality of life outcomes — is needed to determine what benefits or harms there might be in early versus delayed appendectomy.

A ruptured appendix can actually lead to death in some cases. If it's left untreated, peritonitis can quickly spread, resulting in septicemia, or bacteria in the blood. Your body releases chemicals into the bloodstream to fight this infection, triggering an inflammatory response throughout the body called sepsis.

A cascade of reactions will follow, eventually causing septic shock , which includes severely low blood pressure and can ultimately lead to multiple organ failure and, in the worst-case scenario, death.

By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: May 30, Medically Reviewed. Other appendicitis symptoms include: Nausea Vomiting Constipation Diarrhea Inability to pass gas Loss of appetite Abdominal swelling The standard treatment for appendicitis is an appendectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the appendix.

If you have an abscessed appendix, you may experience symptoms similar to appendicitis, including: 5 Pain in your lower right abdomen Diarrhea Lack of appetite Nausea Vomiting You may also experience other symptoms not typically associated with appendicitis, such as weakness, chills, high fever, and a feeling of rectal fullness.

Other symptoms of peritonitis can include: Decreased appetite Fever Nausea Extreme thirst Vomiting Chills Confusion Rapid breathing Urinating less than normal or not at all. Additional reporting by Deborah Shapiro.

Vieder says. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Symptoms of appendicitis:. Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B. Korin has been published in Read more. Topics appendicitis pain management infections. Sign up for our SELF Daily Wellness newsletter All the best health and wellness advice, tips, tricks, and intel, delivered to your inbox every day. In pregnant and older people, the abdomen may be less tender and pain may be less severe.

Once your appendix ruptures, symptoms vary depending on what happens. At first, you may actually feel better for a few hours because the high pressure in your appendix is gone along with your original symptoms. When bacteria leave the intestine and enter the abdominal cavity, the lining on the inside of your abdomen and outside of abdominal organs become inflamed. This condition is called peritonitis.

The symptoms will be similar to those for appendicitis, except:. When this is successful, it forms an abscess. This is a closed off collection of bacteria and pus. Symptoms of an abscess are also similar to those for appendicitis, except:. When left untreated, the bacteria from a ruptured appendix can get into your bloodstream, causing a serious condition called sepsis.

This is inflammation that occurs throughout your entire body. Some of the symptoms of sepsis are:. The treatment for a ruptured appendix is removal of your appendix through surgery. Peritonitis is treated by cleaning the abdominal cavity during surgery to remove bacteria. You may need to use antibiotics for several weeks to be sure the infection is gone.

Often, your appendix will be removed immediately. This is done by inserting a tube into the abscess and letting the fluid-containing bacteria and pus drain out. This can take several weeks, so you might be sent home with the drain in place as well as antibiotics. When the abscess is drained and the infection and inflammation are controlled, your doctor will perform the surgery.

The first several doses will be given through your veins at the hospital. You typically take antibiotics for up to two to four weeks, depending on how bad the peritonitis or abscess was.

Open surgery instead of laparoscopic is almost always used for a ruptured appendix. This is so your doctor can be sure that all of the infection has been cleaned out of the abdominal cavity.

It can take four to six weeks to fully recover from surgery. For a few days after surgery or after a drain is placed, you may be given strong prescription pain medication.

After that, you can usually manage the pain with over-the-counter medications, like ibuprofen Advil or acetaminophen Tylenol.

It takes a couple days for your intestines to start working again after surgery, so you may have a very limited diet until that happens. Keep your incision clean and dry.