Your Childrens Health

Learning how to differentiate between the signs of appendicitis and those of a regular stomachache is very important!

Doctors really don’t know what causes appendicitis to flare up in some people, while others never have a problem.  For this reason, there is no known way to prevent it.  But when it happens, your child needs to get medical attention immediately.

They may complain of a general feeling of unwell, or an all-over stomachache.  This usually progresses quickly to feelings of nausea and vomiting, accompanied by sharp pains near the belly button.  Your child may develop a fever.  As the infection worsens, the pain will become more localized in the lower right abdomen. 

The sooner appendicitis is caught, the easier it is to treat.  Because we can live normal lives without it, doctors usually choose to remove the infected organ immediately.  If an inflamed appendix ruptures, infection and toxins will spread throughout the abdomen.  The appendix will usually burst within 24 to 72 hours of the onset of your child’s symptoms, so it really is not a situation to be taken lightly.

If your child has any symptoms that could indicate appendicitis, take them to the local emergency room immediately.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 18th, 2006 at 1:37 am and is filed under Infections, Medical Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.