As the National Center for Health statistics reports, over five million people in the United States suffer from a hernia. Surprisingly, only about 15% of them seek medical help every year. Not everyone is aware that certain hernias may become life-threatening, hence they delay with visiting their physician until the condition has become serious and requires a complex treatment. With the constantly increasing rate of people suffering from hernias, it’s important to widen the knowledge about this medical issue.
What is a hernia?
Hernia occurs when one of the organs bulges out through a weak spot in a muscle that normally keeps it in place. There are multiple factors that may contribute to developing it, such as: obesity, lifting heavy objects, chronic coughing, smoking, etc. The most common symptoms include but are not limited to a lump in the affected area, pain, discomfort, and the heaviness sensation in the abdomen. Those basic pieces of information might have already been known to you, but have you ever heard that:
- There are several types of hernias
Hernias can develop in many various parts of the body; however, the most common ones involve the abdominal area. We can differentiate the following:
Inguinal hernia – this is the most common type (about 70% of all cases); it appears in the groin area;
Femoral hernia – occurs near the head of the femur in the upper part of the thigh or groin;
Hiatal hernia – it happens when the upper stomach protrudes through the diaphragm into the chest cavity;
Umbilical hernia – appears near the navel; prematurely born babies are prone to have it;
Incisional hernia – it may develop due to incompletely-healed wound after an abdominal surgery; it’s a bulge at the sight of the healing scar;
- Children may have hernias too
As mentioned before, some babies are born with hernia (umbilical hernia). The bulge near the naval may sometimes be hard to spot, yet when you pay close attention to your baby’s belly when he/she coughs, sneezes or cries, you may notice a swelling around the navel. This is the only type of hernia that may go away on its own without any medical intervention within two years.
- Gender matters
Certain genders are more susceptible to get certain types of hernias over others. For example, inguinal hernia, which occurs in the groin area, develops more often in men than women. On the other hand, females are more prone to suffer from femoral hernia than males due to the shape of their pelvis which makes the femoral canal wider than men’s.
- Hernia can be life-threatening
Usually hernias aren’t dangerous and can be repaired with a standard surgical procedure using a small incision to push the protruded tissue back inside. Nevertheless, in some rare cases hernia can become strangulated and lead to death. This happens when a hernia gets trapped in the abdominal wall and then cuts off the blood supply to the tissue that it wraps around, and as a result causes its death. It’s crucial to call the emergency line when you have a lump in your belly accompanied by an instant, sharp pain as well as nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may indicate that you need an immediate surgery that will quickly remedy the situation.
A hernia is a serious issues if you think you might have one, or if you’d like more information, give us a call at (540) 375-2686, or request an appointment online!
