What is a Hernia?
A hernia occurs when an internal structure pushes out through a weakness or defect in the abdominal wall.
Abdominal hernias can occur anywhere between the rib cage and the groin but the most common sites are around the groin or navel.
There are a number of different types of hernia, most are classified by anatomical location. The list below is not an exhaustive one. It does cover most of the most common types of hernia and might give you some indication of what type you may have.
There is a chance that any protruding tissue may become trapped in the future. If this happens the blood supply to whatever is trapped may be cut off and it could easily become dead or ‘gangrenous’. In that case, it might be necessary to do emergency surgery.
Hernia Types
The list below covers most of the common types of hernia and might give you some indication of what type you may have.
An inguinal hernia is the most common type of hernia and accounts for 70% of all hernias. Inguinal hernias present as a bulge in the groin.
An umbilical hernia occurs through a weakness in the abdominal wall at the belly button.
An incisional hernia develops through a weakness in the abdominal wall at the site of a surgical incision.
A hiatus hernia is a type of internal hernia and does not appear as a lump like other types of abdominal wall hernia.
Femoral hernias occur in the groin and are relatively uncommon, accounting for just 2% of all hernias and 6% of all groin hernias, 70% of femoral hernias occur in women.
A sports hernia or “Gilmore’s groin” is an often painful, soft tissue injury that occurs in the groin area.
An epigastric hernia is similar to an umbilical hernia. Epigastric hernias develop in the midline between the breast bone and the belly button area.
A strangulated hernia occurs when part of the bulge or swelling pushes through the abdominal wall only to become trapped.
A spigelian hernia is an uncommon hernia in the abdominal wall. Symptoms may include a bulge appearing below and to the side of the belly button.
A stomal or parastomal hernia develops alongside either an ileostomy or a colostomy. These hernias are quite common and most don’t cause any problems.
5 things to watch out for if you have a Hernia
- Has it got bigger?
- Is it getting painful?
- Has it become tender to touch?
- Has it stopped going back inside?
- Is it stopping you from doing something?
How can I prevent
getting a Hernia?
Hernias are common in England from 2001-2002, around 70,000 operations were performed for inguinal hernias. Generally you cannot prevent the weakness in the abdominal wall that leads to you getting a hernia but not smoking, avoiding constipation and maintaining a healthy weight should reduce the risk.
If you already have a hernia or have had a hernia repaired in the past you can prevent them from getting worse or coming back if you follow these simple points.
- Avoid heavy lifting if possible
- If you need to lift heavy objects, use your legs and not your back
- Dont get constipated or have to strain during a bowel movement
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Don’t smoke
