Hernia

A hernia looks like a bulge appearing in the abdomen, or groin, which can occasionally feel painful, especially when bending or lifting. A hernia is a condition that occurs when a piece of tissue or organ pokes through the muscles which make up the wall of the abdomen and pushes out under the skin.

The common types of hernia include

1. Inguinal hernia - occurs when tissue pokes through the lower abdomen,
2. Femoral hernia - occurs when tissue pokes through into your groin, or the top of the inner thigh,
3. Incisional hernia - occurs when tissue pokes through a surgical wound, that has not fully healed,
4. Umbilical hernia - occurs when tissue pokes through the part of the abdomen near the navel
5. Hiatus hernia - a condition that occurs at the top of the abdomen

A hernia has few or no symptoms; however, it can cause an obstruction to the bowel or interrupt blood supply. This may need surgery to avoid serious complications.

Causes of Hernias

Inguinal Hernias

Most inguinal hernias are thought to due to ageing. This is due to weakening of the muscles surrounding the abdominal walls. Other causes can be being obese or a job that requires a lot of heavy lifting. Some of the risk factors include:

• being over 40 years and male,
• having a previous hiatus hernia,
• being white, and
• Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), that causes a persistent cough. A persistent cough may put additional strain to the abdominal wall.

Femoral Hernias

This normally happens in the femoral canal which runs along the inside of the leg and contains blood vessels. These weaken during pregnancy explaining why it is more common in women. A persistent cough can also weaken these muscles.

Umbilical Hernias

This is caused by weakness in the part of the abdominal wall that is located near the naval. Risk factors include:

• heavy lifting,
• persistent coughing,
• obesity, and
• multiple pregnancies

Incisional Hernias

Scar tissue is left after most surgical procedures. The scar tissue stretches and is weakened due to physical activity. Risk factors include:

• Heavy lifting,
• Persistent coughing,
• Having a pre-existing health condition such as HIV, that slows down the healing process, and
• Straining to empty the bowels

Hernia Treatments

Most treatment requires surgery. During the surgery, the protruding tissue or intestine is placed back into the abdominal wall. The abdominal wall muscles are then strengthened using a synthetic mesh fixed to the muscles. The surgery can be done by either open surgery or keyhole surgery.

Preventing Hernias

One should avoid the risk factors for each particular type of hernia. However, the most common risk factor is persistent coughing. Most persistent coughs are caused by conditions that affect the lungs. Most lung and respiratory conditions are caused as a result of irritation or damage caused by smoking.

As such it is important to quit smoking in order to reduce the risk of all types of hernia.

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