Appendicitis Diagnosis

Last Updated On: 20 September 2025

Getting an appendicitis diagnosis quickly can be vital. It’s often perceived as a childhood condition and I remember that as a child it was included as one of the conditions you wanted to get through sooner than later, because it’s said to be more serious as an adult.

That said no-one in my family had appendicitis so I wasn’t subjected to it’s often associated drama.

Appendicitis Pain

According to the Merck Manual the appendix is a small finger-shape projecting from the large intestine near the point where it joins the small intestine.

The appendix may have some immune function but it is not an essential organ.

Except for trapped hernias, appendicitis is the most common cause of sudden, severe abdominal pain and abdominal surgery in the Untied States. Appendicitis is most likely to occur between the ages of 10 and 30.

Ruptured Appendix

If it goes undetected it can rupture and lead to peritonitis which can lead to a life-threatening infection. In a woman this can affect the ovaries and fallopian tubes and lead to infertility. A rupture can also lead to another serious condition called sepsis, where the bloodstream is infected with bacteria.

Appendicitis Symptoms

Less than 50% of people with appendicitis have the traditionally described symptoms of nausea, vomiting and severe pain in the lower right abdomen, therefore it can be challenging to detect and is how it goes undiagnosed until it becomes an emergency.

In children the pain can be more widespread. In pregnant women and the elderly the pain is usually less severe and the area less tender.

Signs Of Appendicitis

Pain may begin suddenly in the upper abdomen or around the navel, then nausea and vomiting develop. After a few hours, the nausea passes, and the pain shifts to the right lower portion of the abdomen.

When a doctor presses on the area, it is tender, and when the pressure is released the pain may increase sharply (rebound tenderness). A fever of 100 to 101 degrees F (37.7-38.3 degrees C) is common. Worsening infection can lead to shock.

What Causes Appendicitis

The cause of appendicitis is not fully understood. In most cases it is believed that a blockage inside the appendix probably starts a process in which the appendix becomes inflamed and infected.

Appendicitis Diagnosis

A doctor may suspect the condition after examination and a blood test will show an increase in the white blood cell count in accordance with the infection.

However, the usual tests such as x-rays, ultrasound scanning, or a computerized tomography (CT scan) will not help. The usual procedure takes the route of immediate exploratory surgery.

The Two Phases Of Disease

Let’s have a look at the Two Phases Of Disease and what META-Medicine has to say about it.

The appendix is a twisted, coiled tube that is suspended from the cecum. For a horse the appendix acts as a second stomach and stores fodder to get them through the night.

The Conflict

When it comes to a human problems with appendicitis, the condition has three likely conflicts (stage 2) that could have created the disease:

1. It acts similarly (to the horse) in that the emotional conflict that created it is to do with saving something for later. For example with children it could be to do with saving sweets or pocket-money for later.
2. Problems with the appendix can also relate to something ‘terrible’ that couldn’t be digested and can’t be eliminated like a dead-end situation.
3. Or it could be to do with storing something-up-your-sleeve (for later) such as revenge that you can’t let go of.

The corresponding embryological organ (in the brain) is the Endoderm (Brain Stem).

Of course Appendicitis requires surgical intervention, but the originating conflict needs addressing in order to prevent it developing into other chronic symptoms and conditions.

META-Health Example

A girl is at school and the teacher humiliates her in front of the whole class for something she didn’t do, but she’d been taught not to answer-back, so she get’s wrongly punished. The situation made here feel compromised and she was in a dead-end situation where she couldn’t speak up.

She starts with the symptoms (in first phase for digestive problems) but is unaware of them, then back at home something happens where she’s understood and acknowledged for being a good girl, which triggers the second phase, where she feels the symptoms which would start approximately 2-5 hours later.

Let’s Have A Chat

If you have any questions about appendicitis or other disease symptoms and want to apply the META-Health model then get in contact to arrange an informal chat:

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