You must be curious to know everything about Hernia. Well, in that case, we would assist you with all the possible knowledge we can.
A hernia generally occurs when any specific organ pushes through a muscle or tissue opening that originally holds the organ in its position. For instance, your intestines might break through a weakened surface in your abdominal wall. In most cases, a hernia occurs in the abdomen area between the chest and hips. However, they might also occur in other areas including that of the upper thigh and groin.
Once Hernia occurs, people start speculating about the life-threatening issues. But we can assure you that most of the hernia cases don’t pose an immediate life danger. However, remember that these conditions don’t get cured on their own. To avoid complicated consequences, you might need to undergo surgery. Staying aware of the symptoms of Hernia will enable you to detect any early signs of the ailment.
An overview: Hernia and its types
Before we look into the most important aspects of Hernia, we must first try to understand the facts associated with the disease. Here we have mentioned some key points related to Hernia.
- Hernia generally doesn’t produce troublesome symptoms, however, abdominal complaints might signal a hidden complicated issue.
- A hernia can be straightforwardly diagnosed. Either you can feel something’s wrong or you might even see a bulge in the affected area.
- While you can wait and watch how Hernia develops or you may opt for a surgery. It all depends on the level of complications you are facing. In cases of surgery, depending on the severity of the issue, you might need to undergo a keyhole or open operation.
- In children, inguinal hernia surgery is a more common affair; In contrast, for older people affected with a hernia, femoral hernia surgery is much more likely.
Multiple types of Hernia exist, and they are briefly discussed below:
- Femoral and inguinal Hernia: A femoral hernia is responsible for creating a bulge just below the groin area. Women are more prone to such conditions. On the other hand, men are more prone to inguinal Hernia. An inguinal hernia is a bulge inside the groin that might reach your scrotum.
- Hiatal or hiatus hernia: When the upper part of your stomach pushes out of your abdominal cavity and moves into your chest cavity through an opening in your diaphragm, it is known as a Hiatal or hiatus hernia.
- Umbilical or periumbilical Hernia: An umbilical or periumbilical hernia causes a bulge in your belly region.
- Incisional Hernia: Incisional Hernia might be caused because of a scar generated during any of your past abdominal surgeries.
6 Symptoms of Hernia
In most cases, when a hernia occurs, you won’t feel anything more than just a painless swelling of the affected area. Generally, such a condition doesn’t lead to any serious problems. And they also don’t demand immediate medical attention. Here are the 6 most common symptoms of Hernia that you should always watch out for:
- A hernia might cause discomfort and pain. Such symptoms might become worse when you’re standing, or your muscles are strained, or while lifting heavy things. You should pay serious attention to the conditions if it causes increased pain in the affected area.
- A growing hernia can lead to nausea.
- Vomiting is also a common symptom, especially when the Hernia is taking a much more complicated shape.
- One of the other common symptoms includes the bulge not being able to be pushed back into your abdomen.
- Swelling generally tends to be typically firm and tender and in most cases, it cannot be pushed back up into your abdomen.
- People suffering from Hiatal Hernia might experience symptoms of acid reflux, like heartburn. This is generally caused when the stomach acid gets into the esophagus.
Hernia: Diagnosis and Treatment
Whenever you experience any or all of the symptoms of hernia mentioned above, you should seek medical attention. Although there are generally no dangers associated with the initial stages of the disease, you wouldn’t want to be at the risk of future complications. Any swelling accompanied by pain, nausea, vomiting, or abnormal bowel movement might be a red alert. Don’t wait for long before things move out of your control. Your physician will conduct a physical test, and soon it would be disclosed whether you possess a hernia or not. Here are some of the diagnosis techniques.
- Abdominal ultrasound
- CT scan
- MRI scan
For the effective treatment of Hernia, surgical repair might be necessary. However, whether you need surgery depends on various factors such as the size of your Hernia as well as the severity of its symptoms.
Your doctor might want to monitor the state of hernia to detect any possible complications. This procedure is known as watchful waiting. Sometimes, wearing a truss, a supportive undergarment for holding the Hernia in its position might help in easing the hernia symptoms. However, you must consult with your doctor before using a truss.
In case you are suffering from a hiatal hernia, there are numerous over-the-counter and prescription medicines available that can reduce your discomfort and improve hernia symptoms. However, only take medicines after consulting your physician.
