Do you know about a hernia?

WHAT IS A HERNIA & WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Do you know about hernias?

A hernia is a condition when an internal part of the body is pushed through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall.

It is usually seen occurring between your chest and hips. There is a swelling or lump in your abdomen or groin.

What are the types of Hernia?

There are several types of Hernia. Here are the lists of various types of Hernia:

1. Inguinal Hernia:

INGUINAL HERNIA 

It is a type of hernia in which fatty tissue or a part of your bowel pokes through into your groin at the top of your inner thigh.

It occurs usually in men.

  2. Femoral Hernia:

femoral hernia

It is less common and mostly affects women.

As similar to that of inguinal a hernia occurs when fatty tissue or part of your bowel pokes through into your groin at the top of your inner thigh.

3. Umbilical hernia:

umbilical hernia

This type of hernia is seen occurring in babies when the opening in the tummy that the umbilical cord passes through, is not sealed properly after birth.

It might also affect elders.

4. Hiatus hernia:

hiatus hernia

It is a condition in which one of the part of the stomach pushes up into your chest by squeezing through an opening in the diaphragm.

There are many other types of Hernia:

5. Incisional hernia: 

In this type, the tissue protrudes through the site of an abdominal scar from a remote abdominal or pelvic operation.

6. Epigastric hernia:

epigastric hernia

 In this, fatty tissue protrudes through the abdominal area between the navel and lower part of the breastbone.

7. Spigelian hernia: 

In it, the intestine pushes through the abdomen at the side of the abdominal muscle, below the navel.

8. Diaphragmatic hernia:

diaphragmatic hernia

 Organs in the abdomen move into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm.

9. Muscle hernia: 

muscle hernia

Here, a part of a muscle pokes through your tummy; they also occur in leg muscles as the result of a sports injury.

What are the causes of Hernia?

cause of hernia

A hernia may occur at birth, but the bulge may be seen latter after growing.

Children get affected by Hernias due to weakness in the belly wall. 

The causes include:

• ·      Heavy lifting
• ·      Straining while using the toilet
• ·      Performing activities that build pressure inside the belly
• ·      Chronic coughing or sneezing
• ·      Constipation
• ·      Overweight
• ·      Cystic fibrosis
• ·      Fluid in the abdomen
• ·      Poor nutrition
• ·      Enlarged prostate
• ·      Straining to urinate
• ·      Smoking
• ·      Overexertion
• ·      Undescended testicles

What are the Symptoms of Hernia?

symptoms of hernia.

The symptoms experienced during Hernia might include:

• o  Discomfort or pain usually while standing, straining, or lifting heavy objects
• o  Swelling at the site of strangulation
• o  Nausea
• o  Vomiting
• o  Unable to have bowel movements

When to see a doctor?

You should rush to the doctor as far as possible when you see the following symptoms:

• ·      Being sick
• ·      Difficulty passing wind
• ·      Groin pain
• ·      Swelling or a bulge
• ·      Firm or tender Hernia
• ·      Sudden severe pain
• ·      Treatment for Hernia

Surgery is the best treatment for fixing Hernia. It helps in repairing the weakened abdominal wall tissue called fascia and helps in closing holes if any.

Most of the hernias are closed using stitches or while sometimes using mesh patches to plug the hole.

Types of Hernia Surgery:

surgery of hernia

There are 2 main ways of carrying surgery for hernias:

Open surgery: In this type of surgery, a cut is made that allows the surgeon to push the lump back into the tummy.

Keyhole or Laparoscopic surgery: It is a difficult technique of surgery in which various smaller cuts are made, that allows the surgeon to use various special instruments to repair the hernia.

You should be aware of the risk factors of surgery as well as the possibility of coming back from Hernia.

You should clearly discuss the benefits and complications that might occur during surgery.

What are the complications in Hernia Surgery?

Rarely in some cases, inguinal hernia repair may damage structures involved in the function of a man's testicles.

Hernia surgery may damage nerves which may further lead to numbness in the groin area.

Trapping of a part of the bowel or strangulation before surgery may result in bowel perforation or dead bowel.

How can Hernia be prevented?

You can prevent a hernia by following ways:

• o  Losing weight if you are overweight
• o  Using proper lifting techniques
• o  Avoiding constipation
• o  Eat plenty of fibers
• o  Drinking lots of water
• o  Exercise regularly
• o  See a doctor when you are ill with persistent coughs or sneezing.
• o  Don’t smoke.

What will happen if Hernia is not treated?

If Hernia is not treated properly it may grow larger and become more painful.

It might result in the following complications:

·      Obstruction (incarceration): Stocking of a part of the intestine in the inguinal canal is known as obstruction. It may cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and a painful lump in the groin.

·      Strangulation:  It is a condition in which a part of the intestine is trapped in such a way that it cuts off the blood supply.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ):

Q.1 How can a hernia repair by itself?

ANS: The protrusion of tissue through a connective tissue layer or an outer muscle is known as a hernia. Hernia can be caused simply case if you lift something heavy or if you do any kind of activity which directly puts pressure on your abdominal wall. Being overweight also increases the chances of developing a hernia. Some people are born with weak abdominal musculature that can be further deteriorating because of age-related wear and tear resulting in a hernia.

Q.2 Is it normal for a hernia to disappear sometimes?

ANS: Yes, this is normal. If indeed you have an asymptomatic hernia (and not a groin strain or something else), then apparently you have one that spontaneously “reduces”, i.e. “goes back in.” Not uncommon at all.

If you think this is the problem, you should make an appointment with a general surgeon. If you are just going to your PCP for routine checkups and they are failing to find a hernia on their exam, that’s no reason not to get evaluated by a surgeon.

Q.3 What is a good workout after inguinal hernia surgery?

ANS: The first few days you should keep your activity minimized but when a majority of the pain at rest is gone then you should be walking. The best overall activity is walking and not pushing the heavy physical activity until it doesn’t hurt a lot when you do it. We probably limit activity too much but some people push themselves too much and can cause pain problems that linger for months. It is safe to resume all types of physical activity after 4–6 weeks depending on the type of repair.

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