HEALTH

An organ with not much purpose sure can cause a lot of pain. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, one in 500 people comes down with appendicitis each year. “The pain is centered in the right, lower part of the abdomen. It’s associated with a slight fever, nausea and loss of appetite,” says Dr. Philip Schoenfeld. Other stomach problems tend to get better and go away—appendicitis doesn’t. If the pain continues for longer than six to 12 hours, or if you experience recurrent or acute severe belly pain, contact a physician—pronto! Appendicitis is nothing to mess with—it can cause the appendix to rupture or result in an infection. Surgery is necessary, but appendectomies are common.

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by GL | 2/1/2016