It was seen that hernia affects a lot of people, for example in the United States, every year, 750.000 persons seek treatment for hernia, and it is known that there are other hundreds of thousands who don’t go to the doctor because they are afraid.
According to the statistics, the abdominal hernia is five times more common in men then in women, and the inguinal hernia is the most common type in both sexes.
If someone believes he has a hernia, it is important to go to the doctor, because if it isn’t treated, hernia can lead to dangerous complications.
The inguinal hernia appears when a part of the tissue lining the peritoneum pushes through a weakened area of the abdominal wall, and as a result, a bulge appears.
When the hernia becomes bigger, it will cause pain and discomfort, bringing also symptoms like swelling, heaviness, and a tugging or burning sensation in the area of the hernia, scrotum or inner thigh. It is very important to know that it can become even more dangerous if a piece of the intestine becomes strangulated inside.
There are some factors that can lead to hernia. We can mention violent cough or sneeze, prostate problems, lifting, pulling or pushing heavy objects or weights, bowel irregularity, weakness in abdominal wall at birth and work-related physical stress.
Hernias can appear in both sexes, at any age, but are more frequently in men. This is because an anatomical reason – during development, the testicles are formed in the abdomen, and then are moving down into the scrotum, and there appears a weak point in the abdomen where a hernia can easily develop- and because men’s work requires more often heavy lifting.
When a gap in the abdominal wall appears, the bulge of intestine that fills the gap can cause complications. Even if you don’t feel severe pain, it is very important to treat the hernia as soon as possible, because otherwise the gap and the bulge will become larger with every move you make.
A situation apart is represented by the incarcerated hernia. In this situation, the intestine gets trapped inside the hernia and this can cause a bowel obstruction, the symptoms that appear being severe groin pain, abdominal distention and vomiting. The blood supply can be cut off and the intestine can die, leading to a very dangerous situation.
For treating hernia, surgery is required. The traditional method consists in making a 4-6 inch incision in the groin, finding the gap, identifying strong, healthy tissue around it, and closing it up.
A newer method, the laparoscopic surgery requires small incisions, and for seeing inside the tissues it is using a telescope. After hernia is identified and it is found a strong and healthy part of the tissue, a large piece of nylon mesh is placed over the gap and stapled to the strong tissue.
Both operations take about 30 minutes, and full recovery is a matter of a few days.
It is important to remember the factors that can lead to hernia and to try avoiding them. However, if hernia appears you should go immediately to the doctor because seeking early treatment is the best thing to do to avoid complications.
By: Groshan Fabiola