About Hernias and Rehab

A hernia is a protrusion of tissue resulting from torn or weakened abdominal muscles. The muscle tear allows tissue like intestine, muscle, or fat to bulge through the weakened area of abdomen. Hernias can develop painlessly over time, or occur suddenly -- all it takes is increased pressure in the abdominal cavity. They commonly result from age-related wear and tear, heavy lifting, a congenital defect, sustained coughing, or obesity, but many hernias have no apparent cause. Hernias are more common in men than in women.

This site will give you ideas and reports from a variety of patients about what to expect after your hernia operation and how to prepare. None of this should substitute for your doctor's medical advice. However, there are different positions among the medical community, and different hernia surgery techniques in practice.

One of the focuses of this site's rehabilitation reports is for sports, athletics, and fitness. Hopefully, many of your "how long until ..." questions can be answered.

Kinds of Hernias

• hiatal hernia: occurs internally when part of the stomach pushes through the diaphragm into the chest cavity.
• femoral hernia: occurs at the spot where the abdomen meets the top of the thigh.
• inquinal hernia: by far the most common, this is a protrusion of tissue in the groin region. (This is usually the one people mean when they refer to a hernia.)

Danger of Hernias

Most are not directly dangerous. Doctors can usually push the protruding tissue back into the abdominal cavity and close the weakened muscles surgically. However, in some cases, a protruding section of intestine can become "strangulated," or pinched between the ruptured muscles (Imagine a kink in a garden hose.) Strangulation is agonizingly painful and can be life threatening: It requires immediate surgery to prevent serious consequences like blood loss to the tissue or a blockage in the digestive tract.

Treatment of Hernias

Surgery is the only way to treat them. There are claims of alternatives, though as yet the weight of evidence does not support them.

Disclosure

The information contained herein is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be construed as the delivery of medical care. Persons requiring diagnosis or treatment or with questions specific to a single individual are urged to contact their local health care provider for appropriate care.

The answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on this web site are based on published research as well as the Hernia Rehab team's experience. Advice about or recommendation of specific products or treatments is not meant as an endorsement of a particular product and that product may only represent a typical product in a category of products.