Can appendicitis cause vomiting?

Written by Xu Jun Hui
General Surgery
Updated on December 10, 2024
00:00
00:00

Some patients with appendicitis may experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This is because the appendix is located in the lower right abdomen near the ileocecal area, and the appendix cavity is connected to the cecum. The appendix is an independent organ of the human digestive tract. When inflamed, the inflammation can easily irritate the surrounding intestines, causing intestinal spasms and contractions, leading to nausea and vomiting. A typical manifestation of appendicitis is referred pain in the lower right abdomen. Once appendicitis is diagnosed, it is advisable to promptly start anti-inflammatory treatment and, if necessary, proceed with surgical treatment. Appendicitis can range from acute simple appendicitis, which responds well to conservative anti-inflammatory treatment, to acute suppurative or even perforated appendicitis. In these severe cases, it is recommended to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the appendix and clear the inflammatory secretions, alongside anti-inflammatory treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
33sec home-news-image

What should I do about chronic appendicitis?

Most cases of chronic appendicitis are transformed from treated acute appendicitis. Clinically, chronic appendicitis mainly presents as recurrent pain or dull pain in the lower right abdomen. When diagnosed with chronic appendicitis, active surgical treatment is recommended. Currently, the surgical options include traditional open appendectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy, which is referred to as minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery causes less trauma and allows for quicker recovery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
43sec home-news-image

How long does acute appendicitis hurt?

The pain associated with appendicitis is directly related to the severity of the inflammation. If the inflammation is mild, pain can be significantly relieved after using antispasmodic analgesics. However, if acute appendicitis leads to a suppurative appendix or perforation, the abdominal pain will last for a very long time, accompanied by signs of peritoneal irritation, such as tenderness and rebound pain in the abdomen. Therefore, the main principle of treating acute appendicitis is to perform surgery to remove the suppurative appendix. Currently, laparoscopic appendectomy is a viable option, as it involves less bleeding and allows for a faster postoperative recovery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
46sec home-news-image

Acute appendicitis pain level

The pain of acute appendicitis is mainly abdominal pain. Currently, there are no available data for reference to understand the level of pain in appendicitis, and the pain associated with acute appendicitis is related to the individual's constitution and the extent of inflammation in the appendix. If the inflammation is mild, limited only to the serosal layer, then the pain is relatively mild and tolerable. If the inflammation is more extensive or involves pus formation, perforation, and affects the peritoneum, it leads to noticeable peritonitis and causes severe, knife-like pain, making the patient scared to move and covered in profuse sweat; the pain is quite severe. For acute appendicitis, surgery is currently advocated as the treatment method.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
47sec home-news-image

How to relieve pain from acute appendicitis

For rapid pain relief in acute appendicitis, one can choose antispasmodic or sedative medications. However, it is important to note that acute appendicitis often requires surgical treatment clinically. If the pain is not particularly severe, conservative medication treatment can also be chosen, using sensitive antibiotics for anti-inflammatory pain relief. If surgery involves appendectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy is generally chosen, which has less intraoperative bleeding and quicker postoperative recovery. Only after the appendix is removed can the onset of acute appendicitis be effectively controlled or the transition from acute to chronic appendicitis prevented. (Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a physician.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
51sec home-news-image

Appendicitis complications

Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix lumen. If not treated promptly, it can lead to several complications, such as perforation of the appendix. After perforation, pus from the appendix lumen leaks into the abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis, which leads to abdominal pain, tenderness, and rebound pain. Furthermore, if acute appendicitis is not thoroughly treated, it can progress to chronic appendicitis and periappendiceal abscess. A swollen mass can often be felt on the surface of the abdomen in affected patients. Therefore, active treatment for appendicitis is essential. The principle treatment is surgical removal of the appendix. For mild cases of appendicitis, medical conservative observation and treatment can also be chosen.