Hernia definition

A ventral hernia is a bulge of tissues through an opening of weakness within your abdominal wall muscles. It can occur at any location on your abdominal wall. What is a ventral hernia? A ventral hernia is a bulge of tissues through an opening of weakness within your abdominal wall muscles. It can occur at any location on your abdominal wall. Many are called incisional hernias because they form at the healed site of past surgical incisions. Here abdominal wall layers have become weak or thin, allowing for abdominal cavity contents to push through. In a strangulated ventral hernia, intestinal tissue gets tightly caught within an opening in your abdominal wall. This tissue can’t be pushed back into your abdominal cavity, and its blood flow is cut off. This type of ventral hernia is an emergency requiring surgery. Hernias can occur in other places of your body and are named after the location where they occur — for example, a femoral hernia occurs in your upper thigh. Certain people are born with a congenital defect — one existing from birth — that causes their abdominal wall to be abnormally thin. They are at a greater risk for developing a ventral hernia. Other risk factors for a ventral hernia include: • pregnancy • • history of previous hernias • history of abdominal surgeries • injuries to your bowel area • family history of hernias • frequently lifting or pushing heavy objects Ventral hernias can produce an array of symptoms. Symptoms may take weeks or months to appear. ...

An inguinal hernia happens in your groin, in a passageway called the inguinal canal. You might see a bulge on one side of your pelvic bone. It’s caused by abdominal tissue pushing through an opening in your lower abdominal wall. The opening may be congenital (present at birth), or due to normal, age-related muscle degeneration. Overview An inguinal hernia is when abdominal tissue, like belly fat or a loop of intestines, bulges through an opening in your lower abdominal wall. What is an inguinal hernia? A Inguinal hernias occur in the inguinal canal, which is a passageway that runs down either side of your pelvis into your sex organs. They're also called groin hernias. (“Inguinal” means “in the groin.”) They're the most common type of groin hernia, though not the only type. (Less common are femoral hernias, which happen in the smaller femoral canal that runs underneath the inguinal canal.) What's the difference between a direct inguinal hernia and an indirect inguinal hernia? • Direct inguinal hernia: A direct inguinal hernia penetrates directly through the wall of your inguinal canal. This type of hernia occurs in adults over time, from a combination of weakening abdominal muscles and chronic pressure on the muscle wall. • Indirect inguinal hernia: An indirect inguinal hernia enters your inguinal canal through the top. This usually occurs because of a Who does inguinal hernia affect? For reasons of anatomy, inguinal hernias usually affect people assigned male at birth (AMA...

What is a sports hernia? Despite its name, a sports hernia is not actually a hernia. The condition’s true name is athletic pubalgia. Although the symptoms are similar, the pain and pressure from sports hernias are caused by torn tendons that attach to the pelvis instead of an abdominal muscle separation and protrusion of intestine or other soft tissue. Sports Hernia Causes Sports hernias are typically caused by repetitive or explosive motions, especially those that require twisting of the pelvis such as football, hockey, soccer, rugby, skiing, running and hurdling. The soft tissues that perform these movements found in the lower abdomen and pubic area are most frequently torn or injured. The tendons that attach the oblique muscles to the pubic bone are especially vulnerable. In of the case of many sports hernias, the tendons that attach the thigh muscles to the pubic bone (adductors) are also stretched or torn. Sports Hernia Diagnosis To identify a sports hernia, a health care provider may use multiple diagnostic techniques but will begin researching how the injury occurred (mechanism of injury). He or she will then conduct a physical examination. Determining the mechanism of injury is important, because specific movements, such as those that involve the pelvis, are far more likely to cause sports hernias. A physical examination is necessary to rule out a true hernia, which can also be caused by athletic activity. Components of the physical examination include inspection, ...

An incisional, or ventral, hernia can develop after abdominal surgery. It occurs when part of an internal organ or abdominal tissue protrudes through the abdominal wall. In this article, we discuss what incisional hernias are and why they occur. We also look at treatment options and prevention tips. Share on Pinterest An incisional hernia is the protrusion of abdominal tissue or parts of organs through the abdominal wall. They usually appear along, or close to, surgical scars on the abdomen. A 2020 article in the Most incisional hernias are not serious. However, they can get larger over time, which may affect normal breathing and movement. Large hernias can also be more challenging to operate on than smaller hernias. People may require surgery to repair an incisional hernia. If an incisional hernia is small, not causing any problems, and has a low chance of causing complications, people may not need surgery. In rare cases, the blood supply can become cut off to the protruding abdominal tissue. This is a medical emergency, and people will need immediate medical treatment. If people have had previous abdominal surgery and notice any of the following symptoms, it could be a sign of an incisional hernia: • a bulge near an old surgical incision • sharp pain and discomfort when straining and lifting, which improves as a person rests • aching, burning, or gurgling sensations They Certain factors can increase the risk of developing an incisional hernia after surgery. A person is •...

An inguinal hernia is a bulge that occurs in your groin region, the area between the lower part of your abdomen and your thigh. Inguinal hernias occur because of a weakening of the muscles in the lower abdomen. Three layers protect the intestines inside the lower abdomen. The first is a thin membrane called the peritoneum. The second is made up of the abdominal muscles, and the third is your skin. An inguinal hernia forms when your intestines and the peritoneum push through the muscles and appear as a bulge under your skin. Inguinal hernias are dangerous because they tend to keep getting larger and your intestine can get trapped inside the bulge and lose its blood supply. This is called a strangulated inguinal hernia, and surgery may be needed to correct the problem. Facts about inguinal hernia Inguinal hernias may occur on one or both sides of the body and are much more common in men than women. An inguinal hernia can appear at any age. Infants may be born with one that doesn’t show up until they become adults. About five out of every 100 children are born with the condition. An inguinal hernia can also develop over time if you increase pressure on the walls of your abdominal muscles through activities like straining to go to the bathroom, coughing over a long period, being overweight, or lifting heavy weights. If you have a family history of inguinal hernia, you may be at a higher risk for one. Infants born before their due date are also at higher risk. Types of inguinal...

Despite its name, a sports hernia (athletic pubalgia) is not a hernia. It’s an injury to a tendon or muscle in your lower abdomen or groin that causes chronic pain. Sports hernias are often caused by repetitive and forceful twisting of your pelvis. Sports hernias are treatable with physical therapy, medication and/or surgery. Overview What is a sports hernia (athletic pubalgia)? A sports hernia (also called athletic pubalgia, sportsman’s hernia and Gilmore’s groin) is an injury (usually a tear) in the muscles and/or tendons in your lower abdomen or groin that causes chronic pain. People who have a sports hernia can also experience nerve irritation from the injury, which can contribute to the pain and sensitivity of the affected area. The name “sports hernia” is misleading because there is no actual A sports hernia most often happens to people who play sports that require sudden changes of direction or severe twisting movements, but you don’t have to be playing a sport to get a sports hernia. Where do sports hernias occur on the body? Sports hernias happen in the soft tissue of your lower abdomen or groin area. Specific soft tissues that are commonly affected include: • Your oblique muscles in your lower abdomen. • Your tendons that attach your oblique muscles to your pubic bone (part of your pelvis). • Your tendons that attach your thigh muscles to your pubic bone (part of your pelvis). What is the difference between a sports hernia and a hernia? Despite its name, a sports...

Overview A hernia occurs when an organ or internal body part pushes through the tissue that usually surrounds and protects it. A hernia can develop in various places in the abdomen. Inguinal hernias are the most common type of hernia. They form when there’s a thin spot on your abdominal wall. An inguinal hernia can be labeled “direct” or “indirect” depending on how and when it forms. Chances are, the age and gender of the person with the hernia will have a lot to do with which type it is. Both an indirect and direct inguinal hernia can cause a bulge on either side of the groin if the hernia is large enough. The bulge is usually most noticeable when standing and when straining or coughing. In many cases, hernias cause no pain until they get larger. In men, pain may be felt in the scrotum if the intestine pushes down into that region. An indirect hernia usually first occurs in infancy. That’s because it’s often a congenital condition. An indirect hernia in an infant may be most noticeable when the baby is crying. A direct hernia almost always develops in adulthood, usually later in life, unless the problem is the result of a specific injury. A direct hernia is usually caused when the wall of the abdominal muscles becomes weak. That allows a portion of the intestine to push through the abdominal wall. This weakening can develop over time, due to everyday activities and aging. In some cases, improperly lifting something heavy can put extra pressure on those muscles, allowing t...

An umbilical hernia appears as a soft bulge at the navel (umbilicus). It is caused by a weakening of the area or an imperfect closure of the area in infants. This type of hernia is more common in women due to pregnancy, and in Chinese and black infants. Some umbilical hernias in infants disappear without treatment within the first year. A hiatal or diaphragmatic hernia is different from abdominal hernias in that it is not visible on the outside of the body. With a hiatal hernia, the stomach bulges upward through the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen (the diaphragm). This type of hernia occurs more often in women than in men, and it is treated differently from other types of hernias. Causes and symptoms Most abdominal hernias appear suddenly when the abdominal muscles are strained. The person may feel tenderness, a slight burning sensation, or a feeling of heaviness in the bulge. It may be possible for the person to push the hernia back into place with gentle pressure, or the hernia may disappear by itself when the person reclines. Being able to push the hernia back is called reducing it. On the other hand, some hernias cannot be pushed back into place, and are termed incarcerated or irreducible. Generally, abdominal hernias need to be seen and felt to be diagnosed. Usually the hernia will increase in size with an increase in abdominal pressure, so the doctor may ask the person to cough while he or she feels the area. Once a diagnosis of an abdominal hernia i...