What does a hernia look like on a woman

When Fergie sang about "lovely lady lumps," she certainly wasn't talking about hernias. But that's exactly what they are def not lovely tho —little bulges that occur when an internal organ pushes through the wall of muscle or tissue surrounding it, says Mary Ann Hopkins, M. But left untreated, certain hernias can lead to discomfort, pain, and more dangerous conditions like intestinal blockages and even gangrene. Like we said: Hernias occur when your an internal organ busts through its protective layer of tissue and muscle. Hernias can also occur at the site of a surgical incision or near your bellybutton that's called an umbilical hernia.

SEE VIDEO BY TOPIC: What is Inguinal Hernia? - Q&A;

Content:

• What Is a Hernia?
• In Women, Hernias May Be Hidden Agony
• In Women, Hernias May Be Hidden Agony
• Groin Hernias
• Signs you might have a hernia
• Femoral Hernia

What Is a Hernia?

Laura Sweet was an active, upbeat year-old saleswoman living in Santa Monica, Calif. The discomfort resulted in many visits to the emergency room, referrals to various specialists, wrong diagnoses and a daily cocktail of painkillers. Her once-sunny disposition turned morose, and her vigorous workouts declined to a measly 20 minutes of walking a day.

Her sorry tale could be repeated by countless women who, like Ms. Sweet, had hidden abdominal hernias, a condition that most doctors — including gynecologists and surgeons — rarely consider or know how to find. Unlike hernias in men, which are far more common, those that afflict women are usually small and internal and rarely cause an obvious bulge. Symptoms can be suggestive of other problems — ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis or adhesions from a previous operation — but surgically correcting these conditions does not relieve the devastating pain.

Deborah A. Metzger, a gynecologist in Los Altos, Calif. When a woman lies flat on the examining table, the signs and symptoms of a hernia disappear. And the usual exam, an ultrasound, rarely reveals the real problem. Lacking an accurate diagnosis, doctors often send patients to be drugged up by pain specialists and psychiatrists. For many women with these occult, or hidden, hernias, it can take years, if ever, to get the right diagnosis and correct the problem.

Metzger said in an interview. But after 18 months of torment, Ms. Sweet got lucky. A urogynecologist she consulted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles had a hunch that a hernia might be the problem and sent Ms. Sweet to a colleague, Dr. Towfigh repaired them both in a four-hour laparoscopic operation.

Sweet said in an interview. A hernia is protrusion of tissue through the wall of a body cavity in which it is normally contained, most often an opening or weakness in the muscular wall of the abdomen. Towfigh, a general surgeon who trains other doctors in laparoscopic surgery, explained that in men hernias often involve an obvious outward protrusion. In rare instances, such hernias may entrap a piece of the intestine, causing gangrene and even death.

But while women can sometimes develop a similar hernia, they are more likely to have a hidden, internal kind that entraps abdominal fat and compresses nerves, causing intense pain. Towfigh said that despite frequent misdiagnoses, the symptoms of a hernia in women are really not typical of more common gynecological problems.

She recalled that Ms. It was worse with exercise, prolonged standing, lifting, bending, coughing, laughing, going up and down stairs, straining at stool, and during her menstrual period. In other words, anything that increases abdominal pressure, sometimes even prolonged sitting, can provoke the pain, which occurs randomly throughout the day, Dr.

Towfigh said. When all else fails, some women resort to lying in bed to bring relief. Towfigh explained that tiny hernias are the worst. But in examining a woman, even with an M. Metzger said that an abdominal exam in the standing position sometimes reveals a subtle bulge. But more often these hernias can be neither seen nor felt, and a correct diagnosis relies mainly on a vaginal examination. Particular Vulnerability. Women are also more likely than men to develop umbilical hernias, in the bellybutton, especially if they are overweight, have had multiple pregnancies or endured very long labor when delivering a baby.

Umbilical hernias can also entrap intestines and become life-threatening, and the pain can be intense enough to cause fainting. But umbilical hernias are easier to recognize than internal hernias in women.

Particular Vulnerability Women are also more likely than men to develop umbilical hernias, in the bellybutton, especially if they are overweight, have had multiple pregnancies or endured very long labor when delivering a baby.

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In Women, Hernias May Be Hidden Agony

Your muscles are usually strong enough to keep your intestines and organs in their proper place. Sometimes, however, your intra-abdominal tissues can be pushed through a weakened spot in your muscle when you overstrain. A femoral hernia will appear as a bulge near the groin or thigh. The femoral canal houses the femoral artery , smaller veins, and nerves. Women are more likely than men to suffer from a femoral hernia.

Find out about the most common hernias in men and women and treatment options that work best for each sex. But other types of hernias are actually more common in women, while still others occur at similar rates in men and women. Hernias occur when an organ or tissue bulges through a weak spot in the wall of muscle that's holding it in. Inguinal hernias aka, groin hernias occur when contents of the abdomen — usually fat or part of the small intestine — bulge through a weak area in the lower abdominal wall into the inguinal canal in the groin region. Ganshirt notes.

In Women, Hernias May Be Hidden Agony

Laura Sweet was an active, upbeat year-old saleswoman living in Santa Monica, Calif. The discomfort resulted in many visits to the emergency room, referrals to various specialists, wrong diagnoses and a daily cocktail of painkillers. Her once-sunny disposition turned morose, and her vigorous workouts declined to a measly 20 minutes of walking a day. Her sorry tale could be repeated by countless women who, like Ms. Sweet, had hidden abdominal hernias, a condition that most doctors — including gynecologists and surgeons — rarely consider or know how to find. Unlike hernias in men, which are far more common, those that afflict women are usually small and internal and rarely cause an obvious bulge. Symptoms can be suggestive of other problems — ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis or adhesions from a previous operation — but surgically correcting these conditions does not relieve the devastating pain. Deborah A. Metzger, a gynecologist in Los Altos, Calif.

Groin Hernias

Some hernias can only be seen when you stand up, and may disappear completely when you lie down. Others may only be visible when you strain your muscles by coughing, sneezing, laughing, bending or lifting. Usually, the bulge is soft enough that you can gently push, or knead, it back into your abdomen reducible , and it is often not there when you wake up in the morning. Most hernias are not painful.

Chronic pelvic pain in women due to hernias may be misdiagnosed by practicing clinicians. These fascial defects, their symptoms, physical findings, and proper treatment must be known in order to help women experiencing this form of chronic pelvic pain. All procedures were performed by the primary author using standard laparoscopic tension-free mesh techniques. The study included patients referred to a chronic pelvic pain clinic, who underwent laparoscopic surgical repairs of hernial defects.

Signs you might have a hernia

Jump to content. A hernia occurs when an organ protrudes through the wall of muscle that encircles it. There are a few different types of hernias that can occur in the area of the groin.

SEE VIDEO BY TOPIC: Hernia Repair Inguinal (Laparoscopic) Nebraska Patient Education

A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through an opening in the muscle or tissue that holds it in place. For example, the intestines may break through a weakened area in the abdominal wall. Many hernias occur in the abdomen between your chest and hips, but they can also appear in the upper thigh and groin areas. Sometimes they can require surgery to prevent dangerous complications. The most common symptom of a hernia is a bulge or lump in the affected area.

Femoral Hernia

Hernias are relatively common and can afflict anyone. But how do you know if you have one? Hernias can be caused by a variety of circumstances. You might get one because of muscle weakness, straining from heavy lifting or a previous injury. When you get a hernia, an organ or fatty tissue protrudes through the wall of the cavity in which it is contained, typically in the abdomen. Here is a list of the most common types of hernias:. If the wall through which the intestine is protruding closes shut, it can cause a strangulated hernia, which cuts off blood flow to the bowel. This condition requires emergency surgery.

Inguinal hernias occur when part of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity omentum or intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdomen — often along the inguinal canal, which carries the spermatic cord in men. An inguinal hernia occurs when tissue, such as part of the intestine, protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles. The resulting bulge can be painful, especially when you cough, bend over or lift a heavy object.

Back to Health A to Z. In many cases, it causes no or very few symptoms, although you may notice a swelling or lump in your tummy abdomen or groin. The lump can often be pushed back in or disappears when you lie down.

Jump to content. A hernia occurs when an organ protrudes through the wall of muscle that encircles it. There are several different types of hernias that can occur in the abdominal and surrounding areas. These include umbilical hernias, epigastric hernias, incisional hernias, and others.

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