Hernia Health Feed

A hernia occurs when any organ of the body pushes through an opening in the muscle that holds it in place. Hernias are one of the most common problems that occur in the abdomen. Hernias can also appear in groin areas, upper thighs and belly buttons. They are not life-threatening, but they don’t go away on their own.

Types of Hernia

These are some of the common types of Hernias:

● Groin hernias: They are Inguinal, Femoral or Obturator hernias. These are one of the most common types of hernia. They constitute about 70 percent of total hernias. They are more commonly found in men than in women. Femoral hernia is common in females. Inguinal hernias occur when intestine is moved through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall.

● Umbilical hernia: This occurs in children and babies under 6 months old. This happens when their intestines bulge through their abdominal wall near the belly button. This is the only kind that goes away on its own.

● Incisional hernia: It can occur after having abdominal surgery. Hernia occurs through the defect in the suture line.

● Hiatal hernia: It occurs when part of the stomach extends up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. These are most common in people above 50 years of age.

Causes of Hernia

The problem of Hernia occurs due to the combination of straining and muscle weakness in the body. Depending on its cause, it can grow over a short period or a long period of time. Common causes of Hernia are listed below:

● Sudden weight gain.

● Hernia may occur through the defect in the incision of previous surgery.

● It is caused when there is increased intra-abdominal pressure like in straining for urination or for passing stool.

● It may occur in pregnancy, as abdominal muscles are stretched.

● If a person is lifting heavy weight during exercise.

Symptoms of Hernia

The most common symptom is a bulge or lump in that area. Other common symptoms are listed below:

● Feel discomfort or dragging pain in the abdomen.

● Feeling of heaviness in the groin.

● Feel an aching sensation at the site of the bulge.

● Swelling increases on coughing.

A person suffering from hernia might experience one or more of the above symptoms.

Treatments for Hernia

It is usually diagnosed through a physical examination. Whether or not a person needs treatment depends on the symptoms and size of the hernia. Some of the treatment modalities of hernia are listed below:

● A change in diet can effectively treat many symptoms of hiatal hernia.

● Some medications can lessen the amount of pain and reduce stomach acid, in case of hiatus hernia.

● If the hernia grows in size, then one has to go through surgery.

One can have either open or laparoscopic surgery. During surgery, after reduction of hernia surgeon needs to strengthen the weak abdominal wall. It is done by using Polypropelene Mesh. It may be a single dimensional or 3 dimensional Mesh. Let your treating surgeon decide about the treatment modality best suited for you.

Hernia surgery is performed for the correction of a hernia which refers to the bulging of internal organs or tissues through an abnormal opening. It is easy to detect hernia through any pain or discomfort while lifting heavy objects, coughand strain during urination or bowel movements or during prolonged standing or sitting.

It can be found in both men and women. The Hernia can be congenital or can be developed over a period of time. If it doesn’t get better over time and also does not go away by itself, then surgery becomes the only option.

Types of Surgery
There are two types of surgery for hernia treatment. One is the conventional open method, which requires an incision in the skin directly over the hernia. The other one is the Laparoscopic hernia repair in which surgery is performed using a small telescope known as a laparoscope.

In this type of surgery minimal invasions are made and the hernia is repaired with only small incisions adjacent to the hernia. Most hernia operations are performed on an outpatient basis, which means that you can go home the very same day.

Tips for early recovery:

1. Wear comfortable clothing with expandable waistbands.
2. Keep yourself active by moving around as much as you can as it increases circulation, which further speeds up healing.
3. Eat a diet rich in fibre, fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Drink lots of water and other fluids to avoid constipation.
5. Do not lift any objects even if it is very light as it can bring back pain.
6. Do not to pick up things from the floor as it will be difficult to bend.
7. Hold a pillow against your stomach while sneezing or coughing to lessen the pain.
8. Use stool softener for a few days before and after surgery to help you with your bowel movements.
9. Avoid driving till the time you feel any pain and as long as you are taking narcotic pain medicines.
10. Band-Aids which cover the incisions should be changed as and when needed.
11. Refrain yourself from intercourse as it can be painful.
12. Check with your doctor when to take a shower so as not to hurt your incisions, and make sure to gently dry your incisions and replace the Band-Aids after taking a shower.
13. Do not consume any alcoholic drinks for at least 24 hours.

The tips mentioned above will definitely provide help to cope up with post surgery blues. However, in case of fever, excessive sweating, difficulty in urinating, bleeding or any prolonged pain consult your doctor immediately.

When an organ residing in a cavity such as the abdomen tries to push through the muscular layer it resides, it is called as hernia.

Though said to be genetic, hernias can be caused by things such as improper heavy lifting, incorrect posture, or chronic constipation and as a result of surgical complication or injury. Factors like obesity, pregnancy, smoking, chronic lung disease aggravate the severity of the hernia. It is believed that about 27% of all males and 3% of females can have a hernia during their lifetime.

Types of hernias:

Inguinal hernia - The groin is the most common area, where the abdomen pushes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall, causing a protrusion into the inguinal canal. More common in men than women.

Hiatal hernia - The abdomen has the diaphragm separating it from the thoracic cavity in the upper border. When it pushes through the diaphragm, a hernia is caused and there is almost always associated food reflux in these cases. Though the most common cause is associated old age, due to muscle weakness, there also are cases of congenital hiatal hernias.

Umbilical hernia - The abdomen finds a weak layer along its length and protrudes through the skin on the stomach. Most commonly seen in babies around the bellybutton, it gradually corrects itself on its own. Quiet rare in adults, seen during pregnancy and in chronic obese people.

Incisional - These are post-surgical, and happen when the organ protrudes through the weakened wall due to surgery. The abdomen is again the most common area and the hernia can happen either onto the external surface or internally, when they are called ventral hernias.
These are the most frequent types, though hernia affects other organs like the spine, brain, appendix, etc.

Treatment - This includes a combination of constant monitoring followed by a decision to do surgical treatment. Hiatal hernias and umbilical hernias can be monitored for a while before deciding on surgery. Inguinal hernias may require surgery earlier in the stage. Post-surgery, a mesh is placed to hold back the tissue in its corrected place. The umbilical hernia in children could be self-limiting. If it does not get auto-corrected in the first year of life, that also would qualify for a surgical treatment.

Dependent on each patient, hernias need to be managed under medical supervision.

Hernia is not life threatening, but is commonly experienced by a number of people. You will experience hernia when an organ pushes through the muscles or tissues surrounding them. A hernia can occur anywhere in the body. The most common areas affected by it are the abdominal area, upper thigh, groin and belly button. In most cases, a surgery is required to treat this condition.

There are 4 common types of hernias. These are:

1. Inguinal hernia: This is the most common type of hernia and affects more men than women. It occurs when the intestines push through the lower abdominal wall into the inguinal canal. 
2. Hiatal hernia: This commonly affects elderly people and occurs when the stomach pushes upwards through the diaphragm. It may also affect children if they are born with a congenital birth defect. 
3. Umbilical hernia: This affects children and occurs when the intestine pushes through abdominal wall near the bellybutton. 
4. Incisional hernia: This occurs after an abdominal surgery when the intestine pushes through the scar or other weak tissues. 

A hernia can develop overnight or over a period of time. It can be triggered by many factors that cause weakening of muscles and strain the body. 

Some of these are:

1. Congenital defects such as the abdominal wall failing to close properly
2. Age
3. Persistent coughing
4. Surgical errors or injuries
5. Pressure on the abdomen caused by pregnancy
6. Straining as a result of constipation
7. Collection of fluid in the abdomen
8. Heavy weight lifting
9. Excess weight gain

If anyone in your family has a hernia, you are at a high risk of suffering from one as well. Being obese and smoking can also increase your risk. Cystic fibrosis can also indirectly trigger a hernia by causing a persistent cough. Sometimes a hernia has no symptoms. A bulge in the affected area is the most common symptom of a hernia. 

Some other symptoms that you may notice are:

1. Pain in the affected area
2. Weakness or pressure in the abdomen
3. A burning or aching sensation in the affected area
4. Acid reflux
5. Chest pain
6. Difficulty swallowing 

Hernia is the name given to the condition where an internal part of your body pushes itself into another area of the body where it does not belong. A hiatal is the opening in the muscular wall which is called the diaphragm. This usually separates the abdomen from the chest cavity. In the human body, the food pipe, which is called the esophagus passes through this hiatal and joins the stomach area. Hiatal hernia is a condition when the stomach bulges up through this opening, into the chest.

Causes of Hiatal Hernia:
The main cause of hiatal hernia is not known at present, but there are certain factors that can cause it. It could occur when there is an increased pressure on the abdomen area such as during a pregnancy, coughing, obesity, too much straining at the time of bowel movement. Some people are also born with a wide hiatal opening.

Who needs surgical treatment for Hiatal Hernia?
In most of the cases, hiatal hernia does not show any kind of serious signs and hence you need not have to worry about it, When you experience symptoms such as acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disorder or heartburn, then you can treat them with mild medication and with the help of your doctor. But when the symptoms are severe and interferes with the quality of your life, or if the symptoms are not responding to medication, when the blood flow to the herniated tissue is blocked, causes ulcers, or heavy bleeding, you will need a surgery.

There are three types of surgeries for hiatal hernia.

• Nissen Fundoplication: This is the most common surgery done for hiatal hernia. This is also called keyhole surgery or laparoscopic surgery. Small incisions are made in the abdomen area and the hernia is repaired. The surgeon also tightens the stomach in order to avoid the reoccurrence of this condition. It is a less painful and minimal scar process. Recovery time is also less compared to other surgical techniques and you also need not have to stay for a long period in the hospital.
• Open repairs: For the repair of the hernia, a large incision is made in the abdomen area. The stomach is pulled back to its original place from the chest area. A small tube is also inserted in certain cases in order to keep the stomach in its original place and prevent it from moving towards the chest area. This kind of surgery has a lot of risks.
• Endoluminal Fundoplication: This is the latest surgery technique and rarely used. No incisions are made in this procedure. Only a tube and camera are passed through the throat. The stomach is tightened and acid reflux is prevented.