You’ve heard of hernias, but you’re not sure you know what they are. Perhaps you know someone who had surgery to repair a hernia. Would you know the symptoms if you had one?
At Turnquest Surgical Solutions, our board-certified bariatric surgeons, Dexter Turnquest, MD, and Victoria C. Chang, MD, repair hernias. Here’s the skinny on how to recognize a hernia.
When one part of your body malfunctions, it quite often affects surrounding tissues, organs, or other bodily systems. As you show signs of aging such as facial wrinkles and loose skin on your jawline or arms, the same phenomenon happens inside your body.
Your muscles and connective tissue can weaken from being more sedentary or simply aging.
Part of your intestines, your stomach, other organs, or body tissues can distend weakened muscle or tissue and create a bulge. Most hernias involve your abdominal or groin area, but they can occur elsewhere on your body.
The majority of hernias are hiatal or inguinal hernias. If you have a hiatal hernia, part of your stomach has pushed against or poked through an opening in your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is actually a muscle; it can weaken with age, pressure placed on it from being obese, or even being pregnant.
An inguinal hernia occurs when part of your intestine pushes against a weak spot in your abdominal wall. It’s the most common type of hernia. Three-quarters of inguinal hernias occur in men.
Following are common symptoms of a hernia. If you’re having any of these issues, call one of our Houston, Texas, offices for an appointment.
Do you see a protrusion in your skin where a smooth surface used to be? Perhaps you see the bulge when you’re squatting, lifting something heavy, or otherwise exerting yourself. You know that’s not normal. It’s time to call a specialist.
You may feel a burning or aching pain where the bulge is located. You likely have a hernia.
Do you lift heavy weights for your job or at the gym? Have you dug holes in the garden recently? Does it hurt to cough? Any time you feel pain, stop what you’re doing. Your body has an injury, and continuing to stress it makes the injury worse.
If you feel heaviness or pressure inside your body in your abdomen or groin, you may have a hernia. An organ or tissue is pushing against a structure in your body.
Is your main problem heartburn? Do you sometimes have trouble swallowing or have pain in your upper chest that feels akin to a heart attack? Does sour bile come back up into your throat or mouth? Chronic acid reflux can be the result of a hiatal hernia.
If conservative treatment doesn’t resolve your acid reflux, you may need a hernia repair. Dr. Turnquest and Dr. Chang provide expert hiatal hernia repair to restore your quality of life.
If you have chronic acid reflux or increasing pain, your hernia needs repair. Leaving a worsening hernia untreated can cause bowel obstructions and tissue strangulation, a life-threatening medical emergency.
For expert hernia repair, call us at one of our two Houston, Texas, locations or request an appointment through our online portal today.
