For the first time Claudius Galen spoke of a hernia in the 1st century AD, and since then the idea of her has changed little. Hernia is a change in the position of the organ when it comes out of the cavity normally occupied by it earlier.
In Latin, the hernia sounds like "hermia", which in translation means protrusion of the organ.
Most often, the umbilical hernia occurs in children in the first months after their birth, but also the loss of a large omentum and intestine can also be found in an adult.
Signs of umbilical hernia in adults
The signs of umbilical hernia are few:
- the umbilical ring widens, which is visible to the naked eye and is easily detected by palpation;
- the navel area is protruded when the person is in an upright position; in the horizontal position this symptom is not detected;
- there is a feeling of nausea, eating habits are disturbed;
- also umbilical hernia may be accompanied by minor pain while walking and squeezing this area;
- unrecoverable hernias can lead to constipation .
Diagnosis of umbilical hernia in adults
Often, the surgeon's consultation is sufficient to determine the umbilical hernia - the specialist will check the position of the umbilical region in a horizontal and vertical position, ask what could have led to its formation, and also feel the bulging area and, on the basis of these data, will infer.
In cases where the umbilical ring has increased slightly, an ultrasound examination may be necessary - in some cases, the enlargement and enlargement of the umbilical ring may be caused by inflammation, and not by the loss of the organ.
When confirming a hernia, you may need to have a hernography - an X-ray using a contrast medium - to determine the localization and extent of the hernia.
Causes of umbilical hernia in adults
Hernia occurs when the balance between intra-abdominal pressure and the ability of the walls of the abdomen to counteract it is disturbed. In a simple sense, this means that the weak muscles of the abdomen can lead to a hernia if the person lifts the weights and stiffens heavily. In medicine, two categories of factors that lead to a hernia are classified:
- Predisposing. In this category are factors related to the constitution of man - for example, heredity, a certain structure of the body, age, sex. Thus, in pregnant women, the development of a hernia is very likely due to intra-abdominal pressure.
- Generating. This category of factors contributes to increased intra-abdominal pressure. It is because of them as a result of a hernia - for example, when lifting the load, a strong cough, prolonged constipation, etc.
Consequences and complications of umbilical hernia in adults
Cramping of the umbilical hernia in adults is the most serious complication of the disease. This situation occurs if the hernial contents suddenly seized in the hernia gates. In this case, the patient needs urgent medical help - surgical intervention, and if this does not happen, an unrecoverable hernia is formed.
When pinching the umbilical hernia, the following symptoms occur:
- pain in the groin, scrotum;
- vomiting and nausea;
- absence of defecation;
- in a horizontal position, the hernia is not set.
Also complications of a hernia are inflammation of the organ, which is in the hernial sac and congestion of stool.
Prevention of umbilical hernia in adults
Prevention of the umbilical hernia, mainly, is to strengthen the abdominal muscles - good
During pregnancy, the main preventative measure of hernia is wearing a bandage.
Prevention of constipation is also important for prevention, since constant attempts at weak muscles can lead to this disease.
Another important factor in the prevention of hernia is the normalization of weight.