intestine
Umbilical Hernia Signs, Symptoms
Umbilical hernia usually occurs in infants but sometimes adults might have this problem too. Though it is quite harmless and the infants might not experience any pain due to it but in adults this condition is very painful and uncomfortable.Umbilical hernia is caused when a part of the intestine bulges out from a weak opening in the abdominal muscles. In infants, the umbilical hernia gets cured on its own by the time the child is one year old but sometime it takes longer than that. Normally it will disappear when the child is at the age of 4; but if it doesn’t than a surgery needs to be done.
The most visible symptom of umbilical hernia is the bulge around the navel. This bulge will be about ½ inch to 2 inches. This bulge might be present at all times or becomes visible when the child is crying, or coughing or straining and goes away when the child becomes calm. Umbilical hernia occurs due to certain reasons; for example it might be due to the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity; some abnormalities of the urethra; being overweight; or it might be due to the reason that the umbilical ring was not closed completely. This hernia is not painful; if the patient experiences pain then it would be due to some other reason. Usually there are no symptoms of umbilical hernia, but some symptoms can be seen for this hernia, which are described as follows: There will be a soft bulge over the patient’s umbilicus. There is a new lump in the groin region or the abdominal wall area. The lump might feel painful. The patient feels nauseous and vomits more often. He shows signs of weakness and feels dizzy. There is a swelling in the abdominal region.
Abdominal Hernia Signs and Symptoms
Abdominal hernia occurs when a part of the intestine protrudes through a weak part of the lower abdomen. This hernia usually occurs around the groin, the belly button, the abdomen and possibly where a previous surgery has been done. It is either present from birth or might form after the patient has suffered from persistent coughing, or had put pressure due to heavy lifting, or had strained during a bowel movement. Abdominal hernia might also occur as a result of obesity, excessive weight loss, old age or pregnancy.
It is very painful and if not treated soon, abdominal hernia can cause complications. Usually it is treated surgically. The patient can feel the hernia and will be able to push it back into place himself, but he won’t be able to do it always. Abdominal hernia is more common in males than in females. Children show symptoms of abdominal hernia while they are crying, coughing, or passing stools. In adults, there may be a bulge present on either sides of the pubic bone. Moreover, they may feel that their lower abdomen is heavy. They may experience pain while coughing, bending over or lifting heavy things or straining during bowel movements. The pain might be dull or sharp, constant or periodically occurring.
The patient will feel that the pain increase with the physical activity. A swelling in the scrotum or testicles might be seen in the male patients. The patient might feel a burning sensation in the affected area and might also have tenderness too. The abdominal hernia is treated either through making an incision in the groin region and pushing back the intestines into the abdominal area; or by patching up the weakened area with a synthetic mesh. This mesh can be placed either by making an incision over the hernia or through the laparoscopic method.
