Information provided by Dr. Diana Bitner, true. Women's Health:
Takeaway tip: to stay healthy, know your body and have a good medical team to call on when needed. Know the signs and symptoms of appendicitis and be ready to act fast.
Early diagnosis is key for all medical conditions, including cancer and infections.
One example can include appendicitis. It's not uncommon: 1/15 women will experience it in their lifetime. Women can have more delays than men in diagnosis due to an overlap in symptoms with ovary pain and cysts, endometriosis, and bowel conditions such as IBS. Because of this, they can be diagnosed 12-24 hours later than men. A delay in diagnosis can lead to perforation of the appendix with a higher rate of complications, deep infections, longer hospital stays, and the need for prolonged antibiotics.
Know the signs and symptoms of appendicitis:
- Abdominal pain, starting around the belly button
- Pain migrates to the lower quadrant at about 24 hours
- Low appetite
- Nausea, with or without vomiting
- Localized pain around three fingers above the right hip bone
- Pain in your lower right side when you jump up and down, or hit a bump in the road
- Low-grade fever
Tips for good treatment:
- Trust yourself, you know your body best
- Be your best advocate
- Have a support group at work, at home
- Have a primary care doctor you trust and who will trust you
- Know the signs and conditions
- Know the urgent clinics and ERs in town
- If symptoms persist, get help
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