A hernia develops when an organ bulges through the muscle or any other tissue that usually holds it in place. For instance, a piece of the intestines may push through a weak point in the abdominal wall. Spotting a hernia is often not difficult, as it looks like a lump under the skin. A hernia is usually more visible when you’re standing, coughing, or bending, and it may even vanish completely when you’re lying down.
Some hernias trigger no symptoms whereas others can be quite painful. It all depends on the location, type, and severity of the hernia.
If a hernia is painful and doesn’t flatten out when you’re lying down, urgent medical attention is required to free up the intestine and prevent complications. This is called a non-reducible hernia, and it may become a strangulated hernia and cause gangrene. It happens when the herniated tissue becomes trapped and starts dying off. Urgent surgery is required to undo a strangulated hernia.
You can either be born with a hernia or develop it over time. Acquired hernias develop whenever a person has weak muscles and they are straining too much. Such factors as childbirth, chronic coughing, constipation, weight gain, aging, smoking, or lifting heavy weights all increase your risk of hernia. Men are generally more likely to develop hernias than women, but this also depends on the type of hernia.
Depending on their location in the body, hernias are divided into many different types. Below, we review 5 of the most common types of hernia.
Inguinal hernias occur in the groin area, typically on the right side, and they are one of the most common hernias - states the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Around 27% of men and 3% of women have an inguinal hernia over the course of their life. Most cases occur in children aged 5 or younger and senior adults aged 75 and older. An inguinal hernia can either contain small intestines or female reproductive organ tissue. In most cases, inguinal hernias need to be fixed through minimally invasive surgery, for they have a high risk of complications.
Femoral hernias are often confused for inguinal hernias, as they too occur in the groin area. However, this type of hernia is more common in women because their pelvis is naturally wider. A femoral hernia may constrict the femoral artery and vein, so it usually requires surgical treatment.
An incisional hernia develops after abdominal surgery. Incisional hernias can show up months or even years after surgery. The size of the hernia can be rather small or very large. It is estimated that 15-20 percent of patients develop these hernias following abdominal surgery.
Your risk of developing an incisional hernia following surgery go up in the following cases:
If the incisional hernia is very small, it may not require surgical removal, but larger or more complex incision hernias require surgery.
In many cases, a small hernia may not be an indication for immediate surgery. Keep in mind, however, that most adult hernias won’t go away on their own accord. Only a doctor can diagnose the hernia and assess if it requires surgical removal. Sometimes, a hernia is a medical emergency. If you have any of these symptoms, you may have a strangulated hernia and need to go to the hospital immediately:
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