5 warning signs your appendix is about to burst

The appendix is a small pouch-like organ that is attached to your large intestine right at the junction between it and the small intestine. It is a vestigial organ in our body.

While appendicitis is much less common, about 5% of the population eventually ends up with it, and if you fall into that unlucky group, you’ll need to figure it out as soon as possible.

Here are the five most common signs and symptoms of appendicitis…

1. You’re using the toilet more than usual
In some people, the appendix is positioned lower in the pelvis, so it’s pretty close to the bladder. And when the bladder comes into contact with an inflamed appendix, the bladder also becomes inflamed and irritated. As a result, you may feel like you have to urinate all the time — and it hurts when you do.

2. Your stomach hurts more than ever before
Lots of different things can cause stomach pain, but appendicitis usually causes a severe pain that extends from the belly button to the lower right side of the abdomen.

Pressing on this area, coughing, or walking may all make the pain worse. This could mean your whole abdominal wall is inflamed and your appendix might be on the verge of bursting.

3. You’re confused or disoriented
If you’re confused or disoriented, that might mean the infection is getting worse; it might have even entered your bloodstream, which can be fatal. It’s not that anything is going on in the brain—just that the infection is getting worse and expending a lot of body resources including oxygen, so the brain doesn’t get enough and doesn’t work normally. Any time someone is acting erratically, don’t delay: Whether it turns out to be appendicitis or something else that can alter their mental state , the sooner you get help the better.

4. Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea is another common symptom of appendicitis. Combined with the intensifying pain, this makes appendicitis a very uncomfortable condition. Nausea can bring on a sense of dizziness, as well as blurred vision, both of which can make moving around that much more difficult. It also may lead to confusion, which may result in further injury.

5. Fever
A fever and chlls mean there’s inflammation somewhere in your body. If your appendix is inflamed, the body responds by releasing several chemicals to ring the alarm and bring fighter cells to the area, which can manifest as localised pain as well as whole-body symptoms like fever and chills.