Signs of Hernia to Watch Out For

Updated on October 21, 2019

The tearing of tissues or organs causes a hernia through the cavity they are housed in. It leads to discomfort and pain and would disrupt your day to day lifestyle if left untreated. In severe cases of ignorance, it may even prove to be fatal. Getting hernia treatment is essential to ensure that the size of the hernia doesn’t grow further and cause more pain. A hernia can be easily treated through surgery. If left undiagnosed, it can cause severe damage to the organs in which it occurs and may give rise to other health conditions or illnesses. 

At times, the hernia, even if noticeably visible is relatively painless and doesn’t interrupt your day-to-day life as much, you’d expect. Also, if the hernia is not disturbing you with noticeable pain or mobility restrictions, it is undoubtedly causing damage inside that can lead to health issues in the future. If you feel that you have a hernia but are unsure, here are the few signs of hernia that would help with verifying your doubts.

Bulging lump

Hernia causes a bulging lump in the affected area and tends to grow with time if left untreated. The bulge is generally the growth of the tissue or organ from the cavity lining in which it is contained. If undiagnosed, the hernia can become painful due to the muscle tissues tearing out of the cavity. 

Pain

In most cases, the hernia causes a bulge through which a person can identify the presence of hernia and gets medical attention. However, in some cases, the pain occurs much before the hernia is noticeable due to a bulge. The pain range can vary from mild to excruciating, and it may get unbearable during any physically intense activities. 

It is true, especially when lifting anything substantial, bending, sneezing, or coughing. In cases when the hernia is left untreated, strangulation can occur internally that may lead to pain as well as severe health complications that need immediate medical attention. 

Feeling of heaviness

When you have a hernia growth occurring in your body, there is a peculiar and uneasy feeling that occurs in the affected region. Hernia mostly occurs in the lower abdomen and surrounding area, and patients have reported a strange sensation of a dragging pressure. 

The affected area feels weak and vulnerable due to the hernia pushing against the muscles of the organs, intestines, canals, and muscles present in the region. Even if there is no prominent bulge noticeable, it is this peculiar feeling that should be reason enough to visit a doctor and get a check-up done. Maybe a hernia treatment is what you need.  

Discomfort in areas other than the affected region

As mentioned earlier, the hernia has the tendency to grow, and its growth pushes the nerves of any other organs or connecting tissues, it may lead to pain and discomfort in remote parts of the body. The pain that interacts between the hernia’s growth and the nerve can lead to pain in areas that are far away from the affected region. 

It may lead to the person thinking that it is not a hernia but something else or may lead to the misinterpretation of where the hernia is present. 

Feeling Full

One of the most common hernia symptoms that are commonly overlooked is the feeling of being full too early. The loss in appetite maybe because of stomach compression due to a hernia in the region. The person would feel full and bloated like he or she had a sizeable eight-course meal when it was just a small bowl of salad. 

The feeling of having overeaten can stem from the disruption in the stomach size due to the presence and growth of hernia. If you feel full too often without eating much, consult with a doctor and get a hernia treatment done if the need be.

Vomiting and Nausea

If you feel nauseous, have pain in the stomach or lower abdomen region, and vomit due to it, most likely, the hernia is getting worse. The herniated tissue needs to return to where it was or heal itself. However, when the hernia treatment doesn’t occur timely, the herniated tissue can lead to the person to feel excruciating pain in the abdomen region. It may require emergency laparoscopic surgery in some cases to deal with the pain and remove a hernia. 

A hernia can be easily treated these days and in most cases, without any pain or ill side-effects. If you feel you suffer from the aforementioned symptoms or feel that you have a hernia, consulting with the doctor at the earliest and getting the proper diagnosis is essential. The hernia only starts to impact your life if it is either undetected or untreated. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.