Hernia

Recently Answered

• QIs surgery for a hernia urgent?

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  A Dr. Michael L. Campbell, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital

  Surgery for a hernia can be urgent for people having symptoms like abdominal swelling and nausea because the intestinal tract may be involved. The main risk for those is incarceration or strangulation of the intestine, which could require emergency surgery and could even lead to death.

  People with an inguinal hernia who’ve had a bulge for a year and a half or two years, for example, can get surgery on an elective basis, whenever it fits into their daily life routine. If they want it done as soon as possible, they can do that as well.

• QCan uncomplicated hernias be prevented?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Hernias are difficult to prevent regardless if they're uncomplicated or complicated. To prevent an uncomplicated hernia, abdominal wall openings and intense intra-abdominal pressure needs to be prevented. Fortunately, there are ways to lower your risk for uncomplicated hernias.

  • Avoid heavy lifting or learn how to lift heavy items correctly.
  • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals to prevent constipation.
  • Lose excess body weight, maintain a healthy weight.
  • Quit smoking.
  • Stretch before exercising.
  • Treat illnesses and allergies that cause coughing, sneezing or vomiting.

  Because congenital openings cannot be prevented, hernias that develop through a congenital opening cannot be prevented.

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• QHow can I prevent a hernia from reoccurring?

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  A Dr. Sharla O. Sundberg, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of Blake Medical Center

  

  To prevent a hernia from coming back, you want to avoid lifting for four to six weeks, says Sharla Sundberg, MD, from Blake Medical Center. Watch this video to find out what else you should avoid while you're recovering.

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• QHow is a hernia diagnosed?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  A hernia is diagnosed during a physical examination. Diagnosis is based on the hernia symptoms and location. During a physical examination, the doctor will want to exam the hernia bulge. Depending on the location of the hernia, you may be asked to stand and cough, making the bulge easier to see. A testicular exam may also be part of the exam. In harder to diagnose cases or to confirm an initial diagnosis, x-ray, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs can often be used to capture images of the hernia; sports hernias and some intraparietal (interstitial hernias) are the exception.

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• QWhat are the symptoms of a hernia?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  The most common symptom of a hernia is a bulge under the skin. The bulge is usually soft. Depending on where the hernia develops, it may be mildly painful when the abdomen wall is stressed. Symptoms can vary and include one of more of the following:

  • heaviness or pulling sensation
  • pain when lifting and bending
  • swelling in the groin
  • difficulty sitting
  • achiness

  If one or more of the following serious symptoms develop, see a doctor immediately.

  • intense pain
  • hardening of the hernia bulge
  • irreducible bulge
  • abdominal cramping
  • inability to have a bowel movement
  • fever, nausea, frequent vomiting

  Serious symptoms signal a complication with the hernia that can be life-threatening if left untreated.

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• QWhat are some different types of hernias?

  4 Answers

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  A Dr. Leonardo R. Espinel, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of StoneSprings Hospital Center

  

  In this video Leonardo Espinel, MD, from StoneSprings Hospital Center, discusses the different types of hernias, including those affecting the abdominal wall, groin and surgical sites.

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• QWhat causes a hernia?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Hernias are caused by weakness in the abdominal muscle wall and intra-abdominal pressure. Hernia cannot be caused by pressure on the abdomen alone because a normal, healthy abdominal wall is thick. However, if an opening or weak spot is present then a portion of an organ can bulge out and into other areas of the body.

  Openings and weak spots can be congenital or the result of chronic illness, injury, or intense straining of the abdomen muscle. Hernias may occur due to frequent, repetitive lifting of heavy objects, weight gain (obesity), constipation, pregnancy, and chronic coughing.

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• QWhat is a hernia?

  9 Answers

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  A Dr. Matthew H. Couch, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of St. Petersburg General Hospital

  

  In this video, Matthew Couch, MD, in general surgery at St. Petersburg General Hospital describes a hernia and how most patients develop hernias.

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• QHow does a baby get a hernia?

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  A Columbia University Department of Surgery answered

  In boys, the testicles develop near the kidneys; they travel down to the scrotum during the end of gestation. The "pathway" they leave behind them is called the processus vaginalis; its equivalent exists in girls, with the end of the pathway being the labia. This pathway normally closes by the time of birth. If it remains open, then the contents of the abdomen may potentially also travel down through it. If abdominal fluid passes down to the scrotum, this is called a hydrocele or a communicating hydrocele; if an ovary (in a girl) or intestines are involved, this is termed a hernia.
• QHow does smoking affect hernias?

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  A Dr. Joshua T. Taylor, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center

  Smoking can make it more likely for you to develop a hernia. The nicotine within cigarettes, snuff, smokeless tobacco and even the newer electronic cigarettes prevents blood vessels from helping to heal areas and make it more likely you may develop a hernia.