Hernia Looks Harmless – It Is a Silent Volcano – Beware
Is a hernia a disease? Know about this serious disorder – Information providers
A hernia is not a disease but a disorder. A hernia is common in both men and women. Health line defines Hernia as
A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through an opening in the muscle or tissue that holds it in place. For example, the intestines may break through a weakened area in the abdominal wall.
A hernia normally occurs in places like abdomen, in the upper thigh, belly button, and groin areas. A hernia, in general, is not dangerous but beware it is a silent volcano when irritated. Stomach pain, cough, heavyweight will flare-up a developed hernia and becomes complicated. Such strangulated hernia needs immediate surgery otherwise becomes life-threatening.
Personal experience with this disorder
I have a story to share about this disorder. Now I am 63 and 20 years back my company doctor felt hernia symptoms in me. While doing a routine medical checkup, he found a small hump or button like feeling below the abdomen. He asked me to cough and confirmed that it is a hernia. He cautioned me and suggested immediate surgery. He told that a hernia is in a preliminary stage and small surgery will clear it. If I do not go for immediate surgery, he cautioned me of the consequences and explained them in detail. He told me that, it will slowly move into the testis and bulges. He told me that a hernia did not have alternative cure system except surgery. I have a deaf ear to his words and ignored his advice. Often I use to feel a bulge under my stomach area when I cough. Over a period of time, the bulge grows in size. But it was not giving any other discomfort. Slowly I sew growth in my testis. I used to push it back and the surface becomes normal. This often happened and I use to push it back and managed. One day I went to my local bank far away from my home and suddenly felt pain in the stomach. A pain uncontrollable. I see my hernia grow up to a very large level and I was unable to push it back. I do not know what to do. I took help from the passerby and reached home.
With uncontrollable pain, I went to a nearby hospital and the emergency surgeon suggested an immediate surgery in about eight hours. He told a hernia is strangled and the whole area becomes blue because of the blood clot. The doctor pushed the bone like structure back into the stomach and in vain. He then decided surgery within a few hours. The cost of negligence is hospitalization and emergency surgery. This is one side of the story.
What causes a hernia?
Heavy pressure on weaker areas of the stomach causes a hernia. A hernia is due to
- weight lifting or lifting heavy weights giving strain to the stomach muscle
- constipation and applying pressure to pass stools
- diarrhea
- obesity
- forceful sneezing and heavy cough
- smoking
- malnutrition
All this will weaken the abdomen muscle and causes a hernia
Types of a hernia disorder:
When the intestine or bladder bulges through the wall of the abdomen or into the groin it is called an inguinal hernia (inner groin disorder). This disorder is very common in many people and mostly men. The abdomen is normally weak in many of the men.
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In an Incisional hernia (resulting from an incision disorder ), normally occurs in people who had a previous abdominal surgery. The intestine pushes through the abdominal wall. Elderly people and heavy people will become inactive after abdominal surgery and are prone to this type of disorder.
Commonly found in women is a femoral hernia (outer groin disorder). This occurs taking the femoral artery into an upper portion of the thigh when the intestine enters the canal. It is normally found in pregnant women with overweight
Sometimes fatty tissue of the bowel protrudes through the abdomen and referred as umbilical (belly button) a hernia. It is seen near the belly button
Sometimes a burning sensation in the heart is due to a hiatal hernia (upper stomach). It is common in people over 50 years of age. The symptom is a part of the stomach protrudes up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. Hiatal hernias can cause gastroesophageal reflux
My Personal Experience Continues
I had a hernia attack for the second time when I was on a pilgrimage to a hill station with my foreign friends. suddenly I had heavy pain in the stomach area. I thought it is a common stomach pain. I do not have painkiller tablets with me at that time. I and my friends had no mobile phones with us as mobiles are not allowed inside the temple. Without even waiting for darshan of God I rushed out and took a painkiller. Slowly the pain increased and I saw my bladder slowly preluding with bone-like thing coming out into my testis. First time in my life I felt loneliness. My friends are inside and I do not have any means of contacting them. It was a pathetic situation. I took the help of temple staff and rushed to the local hospital. They referred me to a hospital downhill. In the temple ambulance, I went to the hospital and tried to contact my people. Finally, I got in touch with them and they reached the hospital where I was admitted.
Again it was serious emergency surgery for a second time. The reason for the hernia menace second time is not putting a mesh inside at the first time.
So to wrap up, a hernia is a disorder, will be silent till not disturbed. Once it is aggravated it is very serious. Emergency surgery is the only solution for a strangled hernia. There is no other cure for a hernia except operation. Overweight, smoking, heavy cold, cough, constipation are the common causes for a hernia. Consult a surgeon when you see any abnormality in the stomach area and take the suggestion from your family physician. Early surgery will save you from this silent volcano.