If you have any of the symptoms above, contact your GP urgently. In other cases the pain is quite mild and does not become severe until the appendix bursts. In some cases, the pain is felt higher in your tummy, particularly if you are pregnant, or closer to your anus (back passage). Not all cases of appendicitis follow this ‘classic’ course. Coughing or walking may also worsen the pain. If you gently press this area of your tummy it can make the pain worse. The pain rapidly worsens and over 6–24 hours can become more severe. As the inflammation gets worse, the pain becomes sharper and may move down to the lower right-hand side of your tummy. The main symptom of appendicitis is tummy pain. At first, you may notice a dull pain around your naval (tummy button). The blockage could also be caused by a tumour in older adults or a swollen lymph node in your gut due to an upper respiratory tract infection.
This provides a rich breeding ground for bacteria, causing your appendix to become infected, swollen and full of pus. It may be due to a blockage caused by a faecal matter (poo) or undigested food. It's also not clear why an appendix becomes inflamed. The function of the appendix is not known, but it is safe to live without it. It is situated in your right lower tummy area. Your appendix is a small, closed-end tube around 5–10 cm long located at the beginning of your large bowel (colon).