Yes. A woman can develop appendicitisinpregnancy. It is a painful condition and if you are pregnant, appendicitis is a good enough reason to panic! But don’t, it is very rare, it occurs in 1 in 1500 pregnancies and it is treatable with almost nil complication to mother and baby. It is more common in the first and second semesters. The diagnosis is more difficult to make by doctors because the symptoms and physical changes of pregnancy masks the clinical picture or manifestation of the disease.
Nausea, vomiting, fever and abdominal discomfort are symptoms common to early pregnancy and appendicitis. The typical location of the abdominal pain in appendicitis is confusing in pregnancy because of the upward displacement of the appendix by the growing womb. The pain become localized at the upper abdomen and chest instead of the lower part.
Blood tests and scan plus other evaluation by a doctor may help in the diagnosis and proper treatment which include use of antibiotics, and may even involve surgery in the formappendectomyif symptoms are severe.
