Overview
Abdominal hernia, or umbilical hernia, occurs when organs or tissues protrude through a weakened muscle wall of the abdominal cavity.
When this happens, you will see a sac coming out of your abdominal wall, which may contain pieces of your small intestines and colon.
The weakness generally occurs in different layers of the abdominal wall, which contains several muscles and tissues. Once the pressure gradient gets disrupted, the intestinal tissues protrude through the abdominal wall.
In this article, we will discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment options of umbilical hernia.
Causes of umbilical hernia
As with many types of hernias, the exact causes of this condition are still unclear.
However, some of the risk factors include:
Obesity – overweight infants and adults are at a greater risk of developing hernia due to the added pressure on their abdomen.
Sedentary lifestyle – sedentary lifestyle will inevitably lead to weak core muscles. As a result, you will be prone to developing a hernia after pressure disruption.
Coughing – people who have a chronic cough are more prone to umbilical hernia since this symptom modifies the pressure across the abdominal wall.
Multiple pregnancies – carrying more than one baby increases the risk of umbilical hernia.
The signs and symptoms of umbilical hernia
Due to the areas affected by this condition, the signs and symptoms vary from one patient to another.
Here are the common signs and symptoms of hernia:
- Pain of the bulge
- Frequent symptoms of nausea and vomiting
- The swelling of the bulge
- Discoloration of the bulge
- Inability to push the bulge back into the abdominal cavity (it was possible before)
If you experience any unusual symptoms, you need to consult with a doctor as soon as possible.
The treatment options of hernia
Note that the treatment of umbilical hernia is not always required; however, if your doctor concludes that you need surgery, here are the available options:
Surgery is the gold standard treatment for hernia.
Common procedures include laparoscopy and open surgery. The surgery usually takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
Unlike open surgery, laparoscopy only requires a few incisions in the abdominal wall, where small tubes equipped with cameras and a source of light get inserted.
The good news is that Dr. Prashanth J V is one of the best surgeons in India who provides laparoscopy-guided treatments for hernias. This treatment is effective, safe, and minimally-invasive.
Takeaway message
Abdominal hernia is a very common condition that affects millions of people around the world. Treating the hernia is a multistep process that involves medical and surgical treatments.
We hope that this article managed to highlight the causes, symptoms, and treatments of hernia.
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