Symptoms of Appendicitis: Nausea, Fever, Abdominal Pain, and More

Appendicitis is one of those problems that starts out acting like a basic “my stomach is mad at me” situation…
and then reveals it’s actually a full-blown emergency that would like your immediate attention. The tricky part?
Early appendicitis symptoms can be subtle, weirdly vague, or suspiciously similar to about 37 other things
(including that questionable cafeteria burrito).

This guide breaks down what appendicitis can feel like, what symptoms tend to show up together, how the signs differ
in kids/teens/adults/pregnancy, and when it’s time to stop Googling and start getting checked out.
It’s educationalnot a diagnosis. If you think appendicitis is on the table, treat it like the urgent situation it can be.

First, the “don’t mess around” warning

Appendicitis is a medical emergency because an inflamed appendix can worsen quickly and can rupture. If you have
severe abdominal painespecially pain that’s getting worse, moving to the lower right side, or coming with fever and vomitingseek urgent medical care.
In the U.S., that usually means an emergency department or urgent evaluation recommended by a clinician.

Why appendicitis symptoms can be confusing

Most people expect “right lower belly pain = appendicitis.” Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it starts near the belly button,
feels like indigestion, or shows up as generalized abdominal pain before it “settles” into a more classic spot.
And not everyone gets the “textbook” patternage, pregnancy, and the appendix’s position can change the story.

Translation: you don’t need a perfect symptom checklist to justify getting evaluated.
Appendicitis doesn’t always read the same script.

The classic symptom pattern (the one doctors learn… and patients often ignore)

1) Abdominal pain that starts “central” and then moves

The most talked-about appendicitis sign is pain that begins around the belly button (or mid-abdomen) and later shifts
toward the lower right side. This isn’t just a fun medical trivia factthis “migration” pattern is one reason appendicitis can
be missed early on.

Once the pain localizes, it often gets steadily worse and more consistent (instead of coming and going). Many people notice it
hurts more when they move, cough, laugh, take a jarring step, or ride over potholesbasically, when your abdomen is asked to
participate in life.

2) Nausea, vomiting, and appetite suddenly going missing

Nausea is common. Vomiting can happen toooften after the pain begins (timing matters because vomiting-first can suggest other conditions).
A lot of people also experience appetite loss, where even favorite foods suddenly sound like a bad idea.

A helpful way to think about it: with appendicitis, you may feel “off” in a way that doesn’t match a normal stomach bugespecially if the pain is intensifying and focusing.

3) Low-grade fever (sometimes rising as things worsen)

Many cases start with a mild or low-grade fever. A fever doesn’t always show up early, and the absence of fever doesn’t rule out appendicitis.
But abdominal pain + fever should raise the urgency levelespecially if symptoms are progressing.

4) Tenderness in the right lower abdomen

As appendicitis progresses, the lower right abdomen often becomes tender to touch.
Some people describe it as “I can’t stand anything pressing there,” including tight waistbands or even the seatbelt.
Clinicians may check for specific exam findings (like pain with release of pressure), but you don’t need to test this at home.
If it hurts and it’s getting worse, that’s the message.

Other symptoms of appendicitis you might notice

Appendicitis isn’t always neat and tidy. Along with the “big three” (pain, nausea, fever), other symptoms can appearsometimes as background noise,
sometimes as loud clues.

Digestive changes

• Constipation or diarrhea (either can happen; diarrhea-heavy symptoms can also point to infection elsewhere)
• Bloating or abdominal swelling
• Gas trouble, including feeling unable to pass gas

Pain that feels “not where I expected”

Your appendix is usually in the lower right abdomen, but it doesn’t always sit in the exact same position.
Depending on where it is, pain can feel more:

• Pelvic (lower, near the bladder area)
• Flank or back (especially if the appendix sits more toward the back)
• Higher up (more common later in pregnancy)

Urinary or “it feels like a UTI” symptoms

If the inflamed appendix is close to the bladder or urinary tract, some people feel urinary urgency or discomfort.
That overlap is one reason abdominal pain can be misread as a urinary issueespecially when the pain location is unusual.

What appendicitis looks like in different people

Kids and teens

Appendicitis often occurs in children and teens, and symptoms can be harder to interpretespecially in younger kids who can’t describe pain well.
While adults commonly report nausea and appetite loss, children don’t always follow the adult pattern.
Many kids show pain that worsens with movement (walking, jumping), guarding their belly, or acting “not themselves.”

A real-world example: a middle schooler might say “my stomach hurts” and then refuse to stand up straight, walk slowly, or complain that bumps in the car hurt.
If that’s paired with fever or vomitingor pain shifting rightwardget them evaluated.

Older adults

Older adults may have less dramatic symptoms, which can delay care.
Fever may be mild or absent, and pain can be less localized.
But delayed diagnosis can raise risk of complications, so persistent, worsening abdominal pain in older adults deserves prompt attention.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy can blur the picture because nausea and abdominal discomfort are already common. Also, as pregnancy progresses,
the appendix can sit higher, so pain might be felt more in the upper abdomen than the classic lower-right spot.
Because the stakes are higher in pregnancy, clinicians typically evaluate abdominal pain urgently rather than “wait and see.”

When the appendix is “not in the usual spot”

The appendix can be positioned in ways that change the pain map. For example, a more “retrocecal” (toward the back) appendix can cause less obvious
right-lower pain and more back or side discomfort. A more pelvic appendix may feel lower, with bladder-like symptoms.
The takeaway is simple: location matters, but worsening pain + systemic symptoms still matters more.

Appendicitis vs. common look-alikes (why your stomach is a drama queen)

Appendicitis shares symptoms with several conditions. Some common “imposters” include:

• Stomach virus / gastroenteritis: often more diarrhea-forward, with cramping that comes in waves
• Food poisoning: can start suddenly with vomiting/diarrhea, often tied to a meal or outbreak
• UTI or kidney stone: urinary burning, blood in urine, flank pain, waves of severe pain
• Ovarian cyst/torsion or pelvic conditions: pelvic pain, cycle-related pain, sudden severe one-sided pain
• Constipation: bloating and discomfort, but typically improves with bowel movement (appendicitis usually doesn’t)

Important note: conditions like ectopic pregnancy and ovarian torsion are also emergencies. So if you have severe abdominal pain and could be pregnantor you’re unsureseek urgent care.

When to seek care (and what to avoid doing while you decide)

If you suspect appendicitis, don’t “tough it out” for days. Many reputable medical sources recommend prompt evaluation when symptoms fit the patternespecially worsening pain that shifts rightward, plus fever, nausea, or vomiting.

Go get evaluated urgently if you have:

• Abdominal pain that starts central and then moves to the lower right side
• Worsening pain with walking, coughing, or movement
• Abdominal pain plus fever, nausea, vomiting, or appetite loss
• Pain that is steadily intensifying over hours
• New abdominal pain in pregnancy, older adults, or young children

What not to do

• Don’t take laxatives or use enemas for severe abdominal pain without medical guidance.
• Don’t mask symptoms aggressively with multiple pain remedies or heating pads if appendicitis is possible.
• Don’t keep eating a full meal “just in case”; you may be advised to avoid food and drink during urgent evaluation.

This isn’t about suffering for sport. It’s about not delaying diagnosis and not complicating care if surgery or imaging is needed.
If you’re worried, get checkedappendicitis is one of those times when “better safe than sorry” is the correct personality trait.

How clinicians evaluate suspected appendicitis (so you know what’s coming)

A typical evaluation may include a focused history (timing, pain movement, vomiting), a physical exam, and sometimes lab tests.
Imaging may be used depending on age and situation (ultrasound is common in kids and pregnancy; CT is often used in adults).
There’s no single “magic test,” so clinicians combine clues.

If appendicitis is diagnosed, treatment often involves appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix), though some uncomplicated cases may be managed with antibiotics in selected situations.
Your care team will guide what’s appropriate for your specific case.

What it can feel like in real life (experiences people commonly describe)

Let’s talk about the part that medical bullet lists can’t fully capture: what appendicitis symptoms feel like from the inside.
People often describe appendicitis as a “weird progression” rather than a single moment. It can start with a vague sense that something is offfatigue, mild nausea, a loss of appetite that feels uncharacteristic. You might look at food and think, “No thanks,” even if you’re usually the type to treat leftovers like a competitive sport.

Then the discomfort shows up. Early on, many people say it feels like a stomachache centered near the belly buttondull, crampy, annoying, but not necessarily panic-inducing. This is where folks get tricked into waiting: they assume it’s gas, constipation, stress, or a minor stomach bug. They try stretching, sipping water, lying in a new position, bargaining with the universe, and maybe even telling themselves, “If I sleep, it’ll be gone.” (Sometimes sleep helps. Appendicitis usually doesn’t care.)

A very common turning point in people’s stories is the “shift.” Over a few hours, the pain becomes sharper and more specific. Instead of being a general stomach complaint, it starts to pull your attention toward the lower right side. People often say walking feels wronglike each step tugs on something. Riding in a car can become surprisingly miserable because every bump feels personal. Coughing? Suddenly a bad idea. Laughing? Great timing, body.

Nausea often follows the pain (though not always), and vomiting may happen in some cases. People describe it as different from food poisoning: less about explosive digestive chaos, more about feeling sick because pain and inflammation are ramping up. Another common detail is “I can’t get comfortable.” They try lying on the left side, the right side, curled up, stretched outnothing feels quite right. Some describe instinctively guarding their abdomen, moving carefully, and feeling unusually irritable (which is honestly fair).

In children and teens, caregivers often report behavioral clues: a kid who normally bounces off the walls becomes unusually still, refuses to jump, walks bent over, or says it hurts to ride in the car. The child may not say “right lower quadrant pain,” but they might say “my tummy hurts” and then protect one side without realizing it. Adults, meanwhile, sometimes describe a “deep ache” that becomes a more intense, localized painlike their body is narrowing down the problem area in real time.

These experiences aren’t a diagnosis, but they’re useful patterns. If your story sounds like thisespecially pain that worsens, shifts rightward, and comes with nausea, fever, or loss of appetiteget evaluated promptly. Appendicitis is one of the few times when listening to your gut (literally) is a genuinely good plan.

Conclusion

Appendicitis symptoms often involve a growing storyline: abdominal pain that may start near the belly button and then migrate to the lower right side, pain that worsens with movement, nausea (sometimes vomiting), appetite loss, and a low-grade fever. But not everyone follows the “classic” patternespecially kids, older adults, and pregnant peopleso the most important signal is worsening, persistent abdominal pain with systemic symptoms (like fever or vomiting).

If you suspect appendicitis, treat it like what it can be: urgent. Getting checked quickly can prevent complications and usually leads to faster, smoother recovery. And yesthis is one of those rare moments when being “dramatic” about belly pain is actually the smart move.