Many people who suffer from discomfort or pain from an inguinal hernia find that laying down flat on their backs can relieve most of their symptoms. This is because this is the position which most easily allows bulging hernia contents to return to the abdominal cavity and stop compressing the surrounding structures.
Lying down allows the tissue in the sac to go back to its normal position and the lump will temporarily disappear.
Use an ice pack.
If you have a hernia in the abdomen or groin, applying an ice pack to the affected area can help reduce pain and inflammation.
To alleviate pain and pressure during a hernia flare-up, take deep, slow breaths, and relax. Focus on remaining calm and relaxing the body to encourage the muscles in the body, especially in the herniated area to relax and stop contracting around the bulge.
Eat high-fiber foods and drink plenty of water. This helps prevent constipation and straining during bowel movements. Maintain a healthy body weight.
After any kind of hernia, walking can help keep your muscles strong and help reduce your risk of complications. This is especially true of surgeries on your abdomen. Walking helps your organs return to their proper place.
Typically, patients with ventral hernias describe mild pain, aching or a pressure sensation at the site of the hernia. The discomfort worsens with any activity that puts a strain on the abdomen, such as heavy lifting, running or bearing down during bowel movements.
Most inguinal hernias can be pushed back into the belly with gentle massage and pressure. An inguinal hernia will not heal on its own. If you have symptoms, or the hernia is growing, you may need surgery. Some surgeons recommend repair of all groin hernias in women.
The pain tends to get worse if you sneeze, cough, lift something heavy or strain. But different types of hernia can cause other symptoms. For example, the most common kind of hernia is inguinal, which happens when your intestine bulges through a weak spot in the muscle that usually holds it all in.
To reduce an abdominal hernia, lay the patient supine. To reduce a groin hernia, place the patient in a 20º Trendelenburg position (this position allows gravity to help retract the herniated tissue into the abdomen or pelvis).
Many people who suffer from discomfort or pain from an inguinal hernia find that laying down flat on their backs can relieve most of their symptoms. This is because this is the position which most easily allows bulging hernia contents to return to the abdominal cavity and stop compressing the surrounding structures.
We advise that our patients take both Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) together every 6 hours. Ice is an appropriate adjunct to medication for pain after hernia surgery. It can help to reduce some of the swelling as well as decrease pain in the area.
Certain activities tend to make hernia symptoms worse. These may include prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, coughing, laughing, sneezing, straining during a bowel movement, sexual intercourse, getting in and out of a car or bed, bending forward, or crossing legs.
Hernias don't go away on their own. Only surgery can repair a hernia. Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia.
Fatty Food - Saturated or trans fats food items such as red meat, processed food, high-fat dairy products, hydrogenated vegetable oil should be strictly avoided because these food items lead to inflammation and an increase in weight that possess the risk of increasing the problem of hernia.
If this condition is left untreated longer than 6 hours, incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of the intestine, resulting in strangulated hernia.
Ultimately, all hernias are caused by a combination of pressure and an opening or weakness of muscle or fascia. The pressure pushes an organ or tissue through the opening or weak spot. Sometimes the muscle weakness is present at birth. But more often, it happens later in life.
If you're experiencing pain with your hernia, you may notice that the more intense the workout is, the worse your symptom gets. This is why if you're experiencing this, it's best to stick with less-intense workouts such as walking and jogging (over running).
Absolutely Yes! If your hernia is not causing pain or discomfort – it is possible to live with your hernia. One must remember that there is a risk of an emergency (incarceration or strangulation) from any hernia. A painless hernia typically (but not always) will start causing discomfort prior to an emergency.
Take good care of yourself in the days/weeks leading up to your surgery. Eat well, stay hydrated, exercise at levels that do not cause excessive pain to the hernia and get plenty of sleep. Remember #1 — try to keep a positive outlook – over 1 million people go through hernia surgery each year in the US.