How to Recognize Appendicitis During Pregnancy

Recognize appendicitis when you're pregnant.

When a woman is pregnant, the last thing she expects is to have appendicitis, but it does happen. In fact, according to the Journal of the American Pregnancy Association, it's the most common extrauterine surgical complication that occurs during pregnancy. Symptoms of appendicitis can easily be misinterpreted during pregnancy, so it is important to recognize the signs in order to get proper diagnosis and treatment.

Instructions

1. Feel the lower right quadrant of the abdomen to see if there is any pain or tenderness. Pain may also occur around the navel or throughout the abdominal region.

2. Observe whether there is a loss of appetite, nausea and/or vomiting. These are common symptoms of appendicitis.

3. Determine if diarrhea or constipation is present.

4. Check to see if a fever is present. A low grade fever often occurs with appendicitis, in addition to other classic symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• Realize that symptoms may vary and all of the symptoms mentioned may not be present in each individual case of appendicitis. If any of these symptoms occur during pregnancy see your physician immediately.

• There is a risk of fetal loss or premature delivery when appendicitis occurs during pregnancy.

References

• The Journal of the American Medical Association: Appendicitis During Pregnancy

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Appendicitis