Hernia

Hernia Description

A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or tissue out of the body cavity in which it normally lies. By far the most common hernias develop in the abdomen, when a weakness in the abdominal wall evolves into a localized hole, or "defect", through which the protrusion occurs. These may present either with pain at the site, a visible or palpable lump, or in some cases by more vague symptoms resulting from pressure on an intraabdominal organ which has become "stuck" in the hernia. Fatty tissue usually enters a hernia first, but it may be followed by or accompanied by a segment of intestine or other intraabdominal organ. It is generally advisable to repair hernias in a timely fashion, in order to prevent complications which include intestinal blockage, gangrene, and death. Most hernias can be surgically repaired. Recovery rarely requires long-term changes in lifestyle.

Hernia Cause

A hernia is often likened to the failure of a tire. Here a split in the sidewall of an excavator tire allows the inner tube to protrude.A hernia may be likened to a failure in the sidewall of a pneumatic tire. The tire's inner tube behaves like the organ and the sidewall like the body cavity wall providing the restraint. A weakness in the sidewall allows a bulge to develop, which can become a split, allowing the inner tube to protrude, and leading to the eventual failure of the tire.

By far the most common abdominal hernias are the so-called inguinal hernias. Named for the Latin word for "groin", these involve the bulging of abdominal contents into a defect in the inguinal tunnel in the lower abdomen. Since they involve the embryological route of descent of the testicle, inguinal hernias are more common in males than females, and in males the hernia contents commonly enter the scrotum. Inguinal hernias are further divided into the more common "indirect inguinal hernia", in which the inguinal canal is entered via a congenital weakness at its apex, and the "direct" type, where the hernia contents push through a weak spot in its back wall.

Other abdominal hernias include umbilical, femoral, incisional, and diaphragmatic. Umbilical hernias, especially common in infants of African descent, involve protrusion of intraabdominal contents through a weakness at the site of passage of the umbilical cord through the abdominal wall. While these often resolve spontaneously in children, in some communities mothers routinely push the small bulge back in and tape a coin over the palpable hernia hole until closure occurs. This practice is not medically recommended as there is a small risk of trapping a loop of bowel under part of the coin resulting in a small area of ischaemic bowel.