Sometimes parts of the body don’t fit quite as they should. In come cases internally, a pieve of the body’s tissue will push or bulge through another where it shouldn’t. This is known as a hernia. There are multiple different types of hernias that can occur in different parts of the body. Some hernias are minor issues which may cause a little discomfort or minimal symptoms. Some can be dangerous medical emergencies. It’s this dichotomy that makes hernia’s dangerous. Some people may feel a few symptoms and disregard them when in actuality there could be something more severe going on. This article will focus on some of the main forms of hernia that can occur in the body. Each has their own attributes and differences.
This type of hernia will occur in the epigastric region. In layman’s terms, this is the area above the belly button, but below the ribcage. People with this kind of hernia may often feel it if their abdominal wall is exerting pressure. Examples of these moments include undergoing a tougher bowel movement, laughing or coughing. Typically people may feel some pain or tenderness in the region.
This form of hernia can also be known as a ventral hernia, except they aren’t quite exactly the same. Incisional hernias are specific to post surgical consequences. After a person undergoes surgery (typically stomach surgery) the surgical wound and incision might not heal completely, producing a weak spot for a hernia to occur. Ventral hernias refer to any hernia directly on the midline of the stomach. It’s possible for these to occur in some cases without the incision of a surgical procedure, thus the difference.
This type of hernia will occur in a person in the groin or inner thigh region. It will typically feel like a lump in the groin region as the tissue pushes through a weak point. These hernias need to be monitored and often treated quickly as they are often located very close to the femoral artery and vein. It’s possible for a femoral hernia to potentially block blood flow to and from the leg, causing a medical emergency. Since this possibility exists, most femoral hernias will received surgical attention and removal.
Like femoral hernias, the inguinal hernia will often show itself most in the groin area of the body. With this hernia, the lower stomach wall is breached at a weak point. It can be by the interesting or by fat. This typically occurs in the inguinal canal. This form of hernia is far more common in men than it is in women. In fact, it’s estimated that around 27% of men will deal with an inguinal hernia developing in their lifetime. Compare that to only around 3% of women.
The umbilical hernia is a fairly common one in which a hernia forms at the belly button of the person. A visible bulge will occur in the area around the belly button. Typically this hernia feels the worst when the body is under pressure. This includes straining to move your bowels or coughing strongly.
The hiatal hernia is something that can actually be born with or develop later. Hiatal hernias are difficult to handle because the stomach actually bulges through the diaphragm. People with hiatal hernias often deal with serious acid reflux, which is often how all hernias are depicted in tv shows like police drama. There are four different types of hiatal hernias and are classified on their location. Most are type 1. In this case the area where the esophagus and stomach come together bulges and slides above the diaphragm.
