Are abdominal hernias common?

As much as 10% of the population develops some type of hernia during life. More than 1 million abdominal hernia repairs are performed each year, with inguinal hernia repairs constituting nearly 770,000 of these cases.

How serious are abdominal hernias?

ANSWER: Abdominal hernias are common and not necessarily dangerous. But, a hernia doesn't usually get better on its own. In rare circumstances, it can lead to life-threatening complications. Consequently, surgery is usually recommended for a hernia that's painful or becoming larger.

What are the symptoms of a abdominal hernia?

What is the most common abdominal hernia?

In an inguinal hernia, fatty tissue or a part of the intestine pokes into the groin at the top of the inner thigh. This is the most common type of hernia, and affects men more often than women.

When should I be worried about an abdominal hernia?

You should visit a doctor if you notice any unexplained bulges or experience more severe symptoms like hernia pain. They may be able to detect the hernia by performing a physical exam.

Abdominal Wall Hernias

How long can a hernia go untreated?

If this condition is left untreated longer than 6 hours, incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of the intestine, resulting in strangulated hernia.

How urgent is a hernia?

Hernias won't go away if you ignore them. In fact, they'll get worse over time. If you suspect you have a hernia, it's a good idea to seek out M.D. Express Urgent Care for an immediate diagnosis and treatment plan. You'll need either open surgery or less-invasive laparoscopic surgery to treat and resolve the hernia.

How is an abdominal hernia diagnosed?

The diagnosis of an abdominal hernia is clinical. Because the hernia may be apparent only when abdominal pressure is increased, the patient should be examined in a standing position. If no hernia is palpable, the patient should cough or perform a Valsalva maneuver as the examiner palpates the abdominal wall.

How long can you wait to have hernia surgery?

Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia. If the hernia is small and you don't have any symptoms, or if the symptoms don't bother you much, you and your doctor may simply continue to watch for symptoms to occur.

What causes an abdominal hernia?

Ultimately, all hernias are caused by a combination of pressure and an opening or weakness of muscle or fascia; the pressure pushes an organ or tissue through the opening or weak spot. Sometimes the muscle weakness is present at birth; more often, it occurs later in life.

Can abdominal hernia be seen on ultrasound?

Abdominal wall hernia

Sometimes a hernia cannot be diagnosed through a physical exam alone, and other diagnostic tests are needed. Some examples of these include: Ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves to generate images of your pelvic area and abdomen.

Where is an abdominal hernia located?

A hernia occurs when there is a hole in the muscles of the abdominal wall, allowing a loop of intestine or abdominal tissue to push through the muscle layer. A ventral hernia is a hernia that occurs at any location along the midline (vertical center) of the abdomen wall.

How do you treat an abdominal hernia?

The only way to effectively treat a hernia is through surgical repair. Whether or not you need surgery depends on the size of your hernia and the severity of your symptoms. Your doctor may want to simply monitor your hernia for possible complications. This approach is called watchful waiting.

How do you treat an abdominal hernia without surgery?

A hernia usually does not go away without surgery. Non-surgical approaches such as wearing a corset, binder, or truss may exert gentle pressure on the hernia and keep it in place. These methods may ease the pain or discomfort and may be used if you are not fit for the surgery or awaiting surgery.

Is it worth getting hernia surgery?

Many doctors recommend surgery because it prevents strangulation, which happens when a piece of tissue gets trapped inside the hernia and is cut off from its blood supply. I'm not sureIt may help to go back and read "Get the Facts." Many doctors recommend surgery because it prevents a problem called strangulation.

How do I know if my hernia needs surgery?

What is considered a large hernia?

Large hernia defects are defined in the literature as up to 10 cm in size, but Dr. Ross and his colleagues hypothesized that massive hernia needed a more accurate cutoff size.

What kind of doctor treats abdominal hernias?

What type of doctor treats hernias? Your primary care provider can diagnose a hernia. In most cases, your doctor will refer you to a general surgeon for a surgery evaluation.

Can a hernia cause gas and bloating?

An inguinal hernia can cause someone to feel like they had an enormous meal when in fact they did not. This very common type of hernia can also make you feel bloated accompanied with pain in the groin and lower abdomen. Some of these easy to miss signs of a hernia can be potentially dangerous if not treated.

What type of hernia is most common in females?

Inguinal hernia is the commonest hernia type in females followed by incisional hernias which also accounteds for most recurrent cases.

What happens if hernia bursts?

Spontaneous rupture of an abdominal hernia is very rare and usually occurs in incisional or recurrent groin hernia. The rupture of abdominal hernia demands emergency surgery, to prevent further obstruction, strangulation of bowel and to cover its contents.

What can happen if you don't get a hernia fixed?

Hernias can become incarcerated.

One potentially serious risk of not fixing a hernia is that it can become trapped outside the abdominal wall—or incarcerated. This can cut off the blood supply to the hernia and obstruct the bowel, resulting in a strangulated hernia. This requires urgent surgical repair.

Can an abdominal hernia cause bowel problems?

If the contents of the hernia become trapped in the weak point in the abdominal wall, the contents can obstruct the bowel, leading to severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and the inability to have a bowel movement or pass gas.

How can you prevent a hernia from getting worse?

Can anxiety cause a hernia?

People who engage in heavy lifting or repetitive activities that put stress on the lower body may be at increased risk for hernias. If you already have a hernia, stress can make it grow larger and get worse. Remember that no hernia disappears on its own.