Risk for Hernia, One expert gives the lowdown on hernias, who is most at risk for them, and how they are typically treated.
Risk for Hernia, Dr. Harvey Rainville, a general surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in New Jersey, said a hernia is a defect or opening in your muscle layer through which an organ, such as your intestines, can poke through during or after strenuous activity. Activities such as bowel movements, coughing, sneezing, laughing and bending increase pressure in the abdomen and can force an organ or tissue to squeeze through the opening. It is not uncommon for a hernia to “pop out” and then return to what looks like normal, but a hernia that’s disappeared should still be taken seriously, Rainville said in a medical center news release. Any hernia is potentially dangerous. If you suspect you have one, see your doctor. There are many types of hernias. People can be born with a hernia or develop one. The most common type is an umbilical hernia, which develops through the belly button. This can occur in young people and adults. Belly button hernias can often appear as a protruding belly button. Women can notice this type of hernia when they become pregnant, Rainville noted.
Risk for Hernia, Hernias of the groin (inguinal hernias) are also very common. The groin area has a natural anatomical defect. With too much pressure, that area can dilate and allow the tissue to bulge through. Men are much more likely to develop inguinal hernias than women because men have a small hole in their groin muscles for blood vessels to pass through to deliver blood to their testicles, Rainville said. People who do strenuous work that involves heavy lifting can also develop hernias at a higher rate. Those who work sedentary jobs are at lower risk. Some hernias occur at birth. An umbilical hernia occurs when part of the contents of the abdomen pokes through the abdominal wall inside the belly button. It appears as a bump under the belly button. It’s not painful and most umbilical hernias go away on their own by age 4 or 5. Inguinal hernias will appear as a bump in the groin area, Rainville said. They can occur in newborns.
Source: This news is originally published by usnews