Chronic coughing in the elderly can easily lead to hernia disease Inguinal hernia, commonly known as “hernia”, is a common surgical condition in the elderly, with a much higher incidence than in young adults, and the chance of hernia occurring increases with age. Elderly people with chronic bronchitis, prostate enlargement, diabetes, malnutrition, anemia, cough, constipation, and difficulty in urination may give hernia a chance to come to their door. In severe hernia, because the intestines or other internal organs are “stuck” in the muscles, they can become ischemic and necrotic over time. What causes the frequent occurrence of hernia in the elderly? Director Zhang Wenxing said that the main reason for the onset of hernia in the elderly is because of the weakness of the abdominal wall muscles of the elderly, and at the same time, most of them are accompanied by chronic cough, bronchitis, asthma some basic diseases, resulting in the increase of intra-abdominal pressure, pushing the intra-abdominal organs to the weak area of the abdominal wall displacement (manifested as a mass, disappear after lying down) and the formation of hernia. “Recently, the climate has been alternately cold and warm and erratic, thus increasing the number of elderly patients with hernias who come to the hospital for consultation. Many elderly people are unable to cope with the changing climate and fail to keep warm in time, resulting in a small number of hernia patients.” Experts remind that prevention of hernia in the elderly is the key. To prevent hernia, Director Zhang Wenxing suggested the following: 1, moderate exercise to increase the strength of the abdominal wall; 2, avoid smoking and coughing; 3, avoid carrying heavy objects; 4, balanced diet to prevent constipation; 5, keep a comfortable mood and avoid irritability. Some elderly people with hernia disease think that hernia is not painful and does not need treatment, and some patients may even delay for several years without treatment. For these old patients, Director Zhang Wenxing reminds elderly people that they should go to the hospital for active medical treatment after getting a hernia. Untreated or delayed treatment of hernia in the elderly will have the following consequences: First of all, hernia affects the digestive system of patients, resulting in symptoms such as lower abdominal cramps, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, constipation, poor nutrient absorption, easy fatigue and decreased physical fitness. Since the inguinal region is adjacent to the genitourinary system, elderly patients are prone to bladder or prostate diseases such as frequent urination, urgent urination, and increased nocturia. Secondly, if the hernia becomes embedded and the intestine cannot be returned, intestinal necrosis is likely to occur. If secondary infection occurs, toxemia may also occur due to toxin absorption, all of which may endanger the life of the elderly. Finally, the decision to operate on a hernia in the elderly is made only after several years of development of symptoms, which affects the activity or the development of intussusception, and therefore often presents as a huge hernia sac or adhesions of the sac wall, leading to relatively difficult anatomical operations, increased trauma and poor postoperative recovery. In summary, it can be concluded that once an elderly person has a hernia, it should not be ignored and should receive early treatment. Hernia is a physical defect of the abdominal wall and surgery is the only way to treat it. Currently, there are three main surgical radical treatments for hernias: one is traditional suture surgery, one is tension-free hernia repair surgery and one is laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. Zhang Wenxing explained, “Tension-free hernia repair surgery is the most effective, does not produce tissue tension, and is less likely to recur.” Prescriptions for gallstones tend to delay the condition “Older people are prone to gallstones, especially women over 40 years old have a higher incidence.” For gallstones, Professor Zhang Wenxing has a lot to say, “Skipping breakfast for a long time is a bad habit, not eating breakfast, the bile stored in the gallbladder overnight will be deposited, and over time it is easy to form stones. Of course, often eat food with too much cholesterol is also one of the causes of the development of gallstones.” “To treat gallstones, the folklore recipe of drinking lemon juice can play a therapeutic role, which is actually not feasible. Usually, as long as the stones are more than 0.5 centimeters in diameter, they are unlikely to be expelled from the bile duct.” Prof. Zhang Wenxing said it is wrong for gallstone patients to choose not to treat or to listen to prescriptions for treatment when they first develop no symptoms. Experts point out that asymptomatic gallstones should also be treated. Because gallstones indicate that the patient’s digestive system problems, generally bile metabolism problems will lead to the occurrence of biliary tract diseases, if not careful is likely to lead to greater harm appeared. If the gallstones increase in size or if the gallbladder wall changes, further inflammation or even gallbladder cancer can occur. At the beginning of this year, a 69-year-old woman who had gallbladder stones for more than 10 years was treated for gallbladder cancer because of delayed treatment for many years. Here, Director Zhang Wenxing reminds elderly gallstone patients that they should actively treat gallstones when they are found and should not delay their condition because they are afraid of surgery. Nowadays, gallbladder stones are treated by minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is the best choice for the treatment of gallstone disease in the elderly with less trauma, less bleeding and faster recovery.