A hernia is a health condition where tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles or connective tissue. Hernias form in area of weakness, such as the belly button, the groin area, or previous surgical incisions, and can be worsened by obesity. It’s critical to understand what different types of hernias exist and address hernia symptoms in order to relieve your pain.
When it comes to relief from the discomfort of a hernia, are there home remedies or is surgical intervention the solution?
Some methods only offer temporary relief which means that consulting a healthcare professional is essential for proper long-term hernia treatment.
The Different Types of Hernia
The most common type of hernia include inguinal hernias (which can include femoral hernias), umbilical hernias, incisional hernias, and hiatal hernias.
Through these different types of hernias, the symptoms tend to be similar across: a visible bulge in the affected area, severe pain during heavy lifting or any strenuous exercise, discomfort that gets worse with physical activity, or intense acid reflux (this is more common with a hiatus hernia.)
What Are Your Options?
As with anything medically related, it is critical to consult your healthcare provider first to see your different options.
There are many home remedies and lifestyle modifications that may offer temporary or, in some cases, long term relief. For example, a hernia belt may provide support to the affected area. Over-the-counter medications may offer relief. Lifestyle changes such as eating smaller meals to manage acid reflux can especially help with a hiatal hernia. Ensuring proper lifting of heavy objects and avoiding strenuous exercise can also help alleviate pain.
But sometimes home treatments and remedies aren’t enough, and chronic pain or risk of serious complications like a bowel obstruction or strangulation (when the blood supply to the intestine is in trouble) means surgical intervention is required.
First, your healthcare professional will perform a physical examination, and may get a CT scan or other diagnostic tools for more complex cases to assess the size and type of hernia. Your healthcare team will weigh surgical treatment options based on risk factors and on an individual case-by-case basis.
There are a few options for surgery. Open surgery is the more traditional approach (but has larger incisions), laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery are minimally invasive and are performed through small incisions. Hernia repair surgery ranges for small hernias to larger ones.
Moving Forward: Relieving Your Pain
The goal is always to ensure that the patient can return to living life the way they love. Usually home remedies are not enough to address pain and discomfort from hernias, and surgical repair may be the way to go.
For those seeking hernia expert care or hernia treatment in Los Angeles, look no further than Torrance Hernia Center. We are proud to offer hernia repair surgery. Our team of highly-trained board-certified professionals wants to provide exceptional care to our patients.
From initial consultation to post-op, patients receive treatment plans to ensure optimal outcomes. At Torrance Hernia Center, we want patients to return to normal activities and daily life quickly, with as minimal of hospital stay and disruption to your everyday. Reach out today with an inquiry, we are happy to help you on your health journey!
