What is hernia and all about different types, symptom, remedy of hernia.

Hernia is a condition of the body where a particular part of an organ tries to protrude through the outer body wall. The answers to the point wise query are as follows -

i)The various organs in our body are kept in their place by their inter joints as well as the peripheral body muscles and tissues below the skin. It sometimes so happens that these outer muscles and tissues become weak and the inside organs start protruding out resulting in a bulge which can increase in its size with time and can be alarming if the bulge goes on increasing. It can bring a painful condition also. The most common of these hernias is the abdomen hernia where the intestine starts protruding out making a bulge in the lower abdomen or inguinal region.

ii) Different types of hernias are as below -
A. Inguinal hernia - This is the most common of them and is created in the place where the thigh meets the groin area. The left or right triangular pubic regions are the main places where it protrudes. Due to anatomical reasons this type of hernia is prevalent in men only.

B. Hiatal hernia - Sometimes a part of the internal organs specifically the alimentary canal protrudes up through the diaphragm in the chest cavity. This type of hernia causes a burning sensation as the stomach liquid is pushed up by the protrusion. It is common in people above age of 50 years.

C. Umbilical hernia - This happens with the new born babies where their intestines bulge near belly button. Normally it is automatically corrected by the body with time and by the time the kids reach 2 years age it goes. If it remains like that then around the age of 5-6 years a surgical procedure would be required to correct it. Though rare but it can also happen in adults due to obesity or pregnancy stages.

D. Ventral hernia - Sometimes there could be a bulging of underlying organ through a muscle opening in the stomach. This condition is known as ventral hernia. Generally the bulge would appear reduced when one is lying down. Such hernia condition can be present since birth though it is not unusual to have them during the adulthood. Another cause of ventral hernia is surgical and they can be created near the surgical incisions.

iii) Initially the hernia would appear harmless but if it progresses and starts paining and trying to pierce the outer skin then it becomes a medical emergency and surgical intervention is essential. Once created these hernia conditions are not rectified by the body itself and require surgical intervention.

iv) One can prolong with hernia like that if it is not increasing in size and not paining. Still it is advised to get it contained surgically. The procedure is not very major. Now a days through laproscopic procedures a flat net is placed between the organ and the outer wall of the body and with the flat net the organ is pushed back and protrusion disappears..

v) Those people who do regular exercises and walk daily have less chances to get hernia. Mostly the people having resistance to exercising and having a lazy lifestyle and having fat accumulations in their bodies can get hernia. Even a healthy and fit person can get it accidentally while stretching and bending. It is advisable not to lift a very heavy item as it can lead to a hernia.

The hernia is a very common problem. There will be a bulge in the abdomen area or groin area. It brings a lot of pain but not harmful. There will be discomfort also. This will occur when an internal organ or other body part comes out through the opening it has or through the outer layer. In majority cases, it happens in the abdominal cavity, between the chest and the hips.

Different types of hernia:
1.Inguinal hernia: This is the most common type of hernia. Men will be getting affected more than women., The fatty tissue or a part of the intestine will get into the groin.
2. Femoral hernia: This not a very common type. Aged women will get this problem more than men.
3. Umbilical hernia: This will happen when fatty tissue or part of the intestine comes out from the abdomen in the area near the navel.
4. Hiatal hernia: In this type, a part of the stomach comes up into the chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm.

In addition to the above four, there are another four types known as Incisional hernia. Epigastric hernia, Spigelian hernia, and Diaphragmatic hernia are also there. But they are less common.

Risk Factors: Generally the effect of hernia will not be very severe. Sometimes the swelling will become more and pain increases. The patient can't tolerate the pain. These days very powerful pain killers are there but we don't know how strong the pain will be. My brother got this problem with birth. This was diagnosed as an Inguinal hernia. When he does a little strong work he used to get pain and was not able to withstand. In his third year, we got the surgery done and after that, there is no problem for him. Now he is nearing his 45 years and having a normal life. He has a son. The very high level of pain is a risk. When it grows beyond control surgery is the only way to cure it.

Treatment: No medicines for complete cure. You can wait as long as you can withstand the pain. Surgery is the only way. Open surgery or laparoscopic surgery can be performed. The surgery is not very risky and common these days.

Prevention: As far as I know there is no prevention. If we maintain general health conditions normally the chance of getting this can't be prevented. Sometime when we go for heavy works also it may lead to this problem.

Hernia does not provide any specific symptoms other than the occurance of hiatal hernias. It's symptoms may confuse the patients because of the manifestation of the disorders like heart - burn, chest - pain, swallowing problem etc and such symptoms would not provide any clue of the original disease.
This disease can occur because of weakness of muscular wall or even a hole in the peritoneum. The function of the peritoneum is to keep the abdominal region in tact. However, it not a life threatening disease but can be associated with the dangerous complications.
Major types of Hernias-
1) Inguinal Hernia ( Inner groin)
2) Incisional Hernia( It may happen due to incision)
3) Femoral Hernia( Outer groin)
4) Umbilical Hernia ( Belley Button)
5) Hiatal Hernia( Upper Stomach)
Symptoms- In the initial stage, swallowing can be observed without having any feeling for the pain. However, the discomfort is noticeable in case of some of activities such as weight lifting,
Jumping or bending over the body.
Diagnosis-
It can be diagnosed through endoscopy or Barium X- Ray.
This will indicate the exact position of location of Hernia.
Other diagonal procedures are -
1) MRI Scan
2) Ultra Sound
3) CT Scan
Treatment
Treatment would vary depending upon size and severity of symptoms. However, there are three major steps to control the disease.
1) Life Style Changes -
1) The patient should avoid heavy or large meal.
2) Weight has to be controlled through the different mechanisms.
3) Engage some exercise which may strengthen the muscles around Hernia.
4) Avoid spicy food so as to avoid excess acid formation inside the stomach.
2) Medication -
Stomach acid has to be controlled with some antacids or by means of H2 receptor blockers.
3) Surgery -
Surgery can be carried out with an expert surgeon using a tint camera to locate the area and a few incision would be required to tackle the disease.