Do you know about “hernia”?
A hernia is a condition in which an organ or tissue in the abdominal cavity of the body protrudes outside the body through an abnormal defect or weakness in the abdominal wall. When you find a lump in the abdomen when standing upright, or when a sudden increase in abdominal pressure, such as coughing or exertion, a falling object suddenly appears in the abdomen and is returned to the body when lying down, it is a hernia, commonly known as “small intestine hernia”. According to the survey, the incidence of “hernia” is 3-5 per thousand of the natural population, and for various reasons, less than 8% of the patients have undergone surgery. Many patients with hernia, especially those who have difficulties in life, do not receive timely treatment or are afraid of surgery, and tend to let it develop into a giant or complex hernia, and due to delayed treatment, life-threatening cases of hernia impaction occur.
Do you know the causes of hernia formation?
Congenital weakness of the abdominal wall, acquired weakness of the abdominal wall.
Prolonged heavy physical work.
Long-term increase in abdominal pressure caused by certain diseases, such as chronic cough caused by chronic bronchitis, difficulty in urination and habitual constipation caused by prostate enlargement.
Why should the elderly guard against inguinal hernia in winter?
Older people have reduced strength of the abdominal wall due to muscle degeneration and atrophy, and heart and lung diseases are often aggravated in winter, making them prone to coughing, constipation, difficulty in urination and other triggers for increased intra-abdominal pressure.
Can women and children also get hernias?
Hernia in children is usually a congenital disease and if it does not become incarcerated, it is best to have surgery after one year of age, as some children can heal spontaneously before one year of age.
Types of “hernia”
Inguinal hernia: The hernia sac falls into the scrotum and is common in young adults, with a rate of nearly 80%.
Straight inguinal hernia: the hernia sac protrudes directly from behind and forward, usually without entering the scrotum.
Femoral hernia: occurs at the highest part of the thigh, the hernia sac falls into the femoral canal and is prone to entrapment, mostly in women.
Incisional hernia; occurs at the site of a previous surgical incision.
Other hernias: recurrent hernia, umbilical hernia, etc.
Do you understand the consequences of a hernia?
Early or mildly symptomatic patients may experience lower abdominal cramping, indigestion, etc. As the condition progresses, the lump may become lodged in the scrotum, causing difficulty in moving and walking. In severe cases, intussusception can occur, which can lead to intestinal necrosis and even life-threatening if not treated in time.
Do you know how to cure a hernia?
Regardless of the type of hernia, it occurs as a result of an abnormal defect or weakness in the abdominal wall, and the size of the defect varies, while a gaping hernia after surgery can be even as large as more than 10 cm. Therefore, we know from the pathogenesis of hernias that adult hernias are not self-healing and that the only way to repair such defects is through surgery.
Do you have any concerns about surgery for hernias?
Tension-free hernia repair under modified local nerve block anesthesia is used. This new method of anesthesia is less anesthetic, more targeted, more effective, less complications, less systemic effects, and thus has almost no contraindications. Tension-free hernia repair is less invasive, less painful after surgery, no fasting and urinary catheterization before and after surgery, no stitch removal, no bed rest and escorting, low complication and recurrence rates, and reduced costs. It is truly minimally invasive, safe, effective and more humane.
How to prevent hernia in the elderly?
1, timely treatment of difficulty in urination caused by prostate enlargement.
2. Pay attention to keeping warm to prevent colds. Quit smoking to avoid triggering respiratory infections and coughing that can lead to inguinal hernia.
3. Increase activities in moderation to enhance physical fitness. Enter easily digestible food and increase coarse fiber vegetables such as cabbage and celery in moderation to prevent constipation.
4.Minimize or avoid heavy physical labor.
5.Keep a happy mood, avoid emotional excitement and irritability.
6.Once the symptoms of inguinal hernia appear, you should seek medical attention as early as possible. If the hernia contents become embedded, call an emergency vehicle to send the patient to a nearby hospital for treatment.