Having an Inguinal Hernia

Lets be honest, having a hernia is not fun! It is bothersome, painful, and restrictive. It seems more like a inconvenience than a real medical emergency but, the truth is hernia’s can become very serious, very quickly!

A few weeks back I was in the emergency room with dull pain, and swelling in my groin area. I thought it was a pulled muscle, and that the doctor was going to prescribe some pain pills, and tell me to take it easy for a week, or two. When I was told that it was an inguinal hernia, and that I should consider surgery before it becomes strangulated. Remembering the pain that my father was in after his hernia surgery. A few days later I was in a surgeon’s office and was told the seriousness of having a hernia.

My surgeon told me that an inguinal hernia is formed when an organ is pushed through a weaken area of the abdominal wall. If untreated the hernia will become strangulated.

Hernias become strangulated when blood flow to the herniated organ is cut off. That section of the organ dies, and emergency surgery will be needed! In an inguinal hernia the organ that is typically involved is the intestines. If the herniated section of the intestines become strangulated part of your intestines will die from lack of blood flow, and will need to be surgically removed. After the surgery you will need to be connected to a colostomy bag until your intestines are healed!

She also said that the surgery is typically outpatient, and I could expect to have a recover time of one week with four weeks of lite duty work.

Most hernias can be prevented! Here are a few tips to prevent yourself from having one:

• If you are overweight follow your doctors weight loss advice!
• Avoid crash diets!
• Avoid lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects!
• Avoid heavy coughing, and hard sneezing (don’t hold in your sneezes, and quit smoking)!
• Take proper medication for your sneezing, and coughing!
• Avoid constipation, and straining during bowel movements and urination!

Ask your doctor for other preventative steps that you can take to prevent hernias.