Could this be appendicitis

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been having stomach aches and lose of appetite for a week now. i had diarrhea on one of those days. could this be the beginning of appendicitis? What are the symtoms of appendicitis and how is it diagnosed by doctors?

Dear Breanna: Your abdominal symptoms are non-specific and copuld be caused by several different conditions including inflammatory bowel disease, medications, viral infections, appendicitis and irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms of appendicitis are usually abdominal pain wheich begins around the bell button and then moves to the right lower abdomen, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and mild fever. The diagnosis is made by your doctor from the history of the symptoms and a careful physical examination. Occasionally a CT scan of the abdomen is used to confirm the diagnosis.