What is a Hernia?
A hernia is the movement of part of an organ, out of its normal position through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. In most cases the word hernia refers to a loop of intestine pushing through a weak area in the wall of the abdomen although hernias can occur in other parts of the body.
The most common place for hernias to appear is in the groin. Other places are in and around the belly button and where a scar is present. In bad cases hernias can strangulate whereby the organ becomes stuck and its blood supply cut off.
Signs & Symptoms
Many men describe a feeling of 'something giving way' that's followed by slight groin pain. Later, the pain disappears and a soft lump under the skin appears. The lump disappears when you lie down, and gets bigger if you cough, sneeze, strain, or exercise vigorously. In some cases hernias can be as large as a football.
What causes it?
Hernias in adults may arise as a result of the strain caused by excessive coughing, lifting heavy weights and straining to produce a bowel movement. People with a chronic cough are liable to develop an inguinal hernia. A hernia may develop due to being over- weight or from scars from previous surgery.
In babies they are usually due to congenital weakness. A common type of hernia in babies is an umbilical hernia. This appears near the navel and results from a weakness in the wall of the abdominal wall at birth. An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin and is most common in baby boys, occurring after the testicles have descended into the scrotum.
Treatments
Most hernias are just a nuisance but this doesn't mean you should ignore them. Always get a hernia checked by a doctor.
The main treatment for a hernia is surgery. This will replace the protruded part and to repair the weakness in the wall so preventing further hernias.
Hernia repairs are in fact the most common male operation undertaken on the NHS – over 100,000 are performed each year. Most men can go home the same day.
Prevention
There is no sure way of avoiding a hernia, however the following may help:
- Avoiding constipation by taking plenty of fibre and liquid each day
- Lifting weights correctly, by bending at the knees and keeping a straight back
- Maintaining an ideal weight
- Avoiding excess coughing by stopping smoking.
Links
For more information visit the British Hernia Centre website: www.hernia.org
