Most people with appendicitis have classic symptoms that a doctor can easily identify. The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain.
The abdominal pain usually
* occurs suddenly, often causing a person to wake up at night * occurs before other symptoms * begins near the belly button and then moves lower and to the right * is new and unlike any pain felt before * gets worse in a matter of hours * gets worse when moving around, taking deep breaths, coughing, or sneezing
Other symptoms of appendicitis may include
* loss of appetite * nausea * vomiting * constipation or diarrhea * inability to pass gas * a low-grade fever that follows other symptoms * abdominal swelling * the feeling that passing stool will relieve discomfort
Symptoms vary and can mimic other sources of abdominal pain, including
* intestinal obstruction * inflammatory bowel disease * pelvic inflammatory disease and other gynecological disorders * intestinal adhesions * constipation