What is A Hernia?

A hernia is when an organ in the body pushes through muscle when it's not supposed to and thus becomes out of place. If part of the intestine starts breaking through the muscle in the abdomen, that is an example of a hernia. Leaving hernia untreated might lead to life-threatening complications. However, hernias are easy to detect by a doctor and are marked by symptoms that the patient is bound to notice, such as a bulge in the body, a burning feeling in the affected area, and other pain, especially noticeable when lifting things. Treating hernia is not a huge deal medically, and is almost always successful, so you don't have to be especially alarmed. 

Why Do Hernias Happen?

It is thought that weakness and strain in the muscles can lead to a hernia. Having a buildup of pressure in the abdomen also contributes to the condition. There are several risk factors associated with hernia, according to a web article. One of them is simply being a young adult, since it is mostly this age group that develops the condition. Pregnancy increases the pressure in the abdomen which might contribute to a hernia. Obesity is another risk factor because the internal pressure is so high. Another factor is having the disease cystic fibrosis, where lots of coughing can lead to pressure buildup. 

Hernia Surgery

The only reliable hernia treatment for young adults is to repair the problem with surgery. "Herniorrhaphy" is the official name of the surgery. The patient is usually put to sleep with general anesthesia. Then the surgeon puts the misplaced tissue back in its place, takes out any part of the organ that has been badly damaged, and repairs the wall of muscle to keep things in their place. Recently, traditional surgery has not been used as much, replaced by laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgeries are great because there is less pain associated with them as well as less blood loss, less noticeable scars, and diminished infection risk.

Hernia Treatment Time Frame

If you have symptoms and the doctor believes it may be a hernia, he may send you to a hospital for additional tests. Depending on the hospital and the severity of the case, they may want to do surgery that day or give you an appointment. They will try to schedule you at your earliest convenience to get the problem out of the way quickly. In the meantime, resting is important, and you must be careful not to make the hernia worse. If it gets worse, go the emergency room right away. The surgery is done within one or two hours. Patients are usually permitted to go home the same day. However, about three weeks of recovery time is needed. At that point you can resume easy activity. Take another three or four weeks before doing any difficult or strenuous activity.  

For more information, contact a business such as Natural Tissue Hernia Repair Associates.