Appendicitis
Say: uh-pen-di-SYE-tis
If a person's appendix gets inflamed (swells up), it's called appendicitis. Sometimes this happens after there is an infection in the intestine. Other times, something causes a blockage in the appendix. And sometimes there isn't a clear reason why it happens. If someone has appendicitis, the appendix will need to be taken out during an operation called an appendectomy.