What is a hernia? There are different types of hernia in different parts of the body, but they are all caused by something pushing through a tear in a muscle. The hint to what it is is in the name. The word hernia comes from the Latin “hernia”, which means “rupture”.
There are technically 9 different types of hernia, although some of them are more common than others. With a hernia, there is a rupture in a muscle that is supposed to keep something inside our bodies, and that thing that is supposed to be kept inside sticks through the rupture in the muscles. Anyone can get a hernia at any age, but the chance of getting one increases as we get older because our muscles get weaker. Obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, and occupation can all make them more likely to happen. Let’s have a look at different hernias.
The most common type of hernia is called an inguinal hernia. “Inguinal” means “of the groin” and refers to the lower part of the abdomen. The abdominal muscles keep the intestines in and keep a steady pressure inside the abdomen that helps with digestion and keeps the lower organs in their place. If there is a weak point in the abdominal muscles, the pressure causes part of the intestine to pop out. You probably won’t feel it if you are just sitting down, but if you try to lift something, it increases the pressure and the hernia will hurt because the muscles are being stretched and the intestine is being squashed. These hernias are in the lower abdomen, just above the groin. There is also a hernia called a femoral hernia that is also where the intestine pops through the abdominal muscles. This is in the upper thigh and is more common with pregnant women or obese people.
Then there is a hernia called a hiatus hernia. Inguinal hernias bulge through the stomach muscles and pop outwards. Hiatus hernias pop upwards and are caused when part of the stomach pops through a weak point in the diaphragm. The diaphragm is just above the stomach and it flexes and relaxes to alter the pressure in the chest cavity and suck air in or force it out of the lungs. If the muscles are weak, part of the stomach can be forced through and this causes a lot of problems. This is probably a worse kind of hernia than the more common types. The stomach sticking up through the diaphragm upsets the pressure in the chest cavity and that can force the stomach contents back up the throat, causing acid reflux. These type of hernias can also be caused by other organs pushing through the diaphragm as well.
There are also muscle hernias. Muscles are made of groups of fibers clustered together. The muscles are covered in a layer of collagen called fascia tissue. This layer doesn’t only cover the muscles, it covers all of the organs and keeps them in their place. A muscle hernia happens when some of the muscle fibers pop out and protrude through the fascia layer. They tend to be more common in the lower leg.
Then there are herniated disc hernias. These can happen anywhere up the spine and can cause back pain to neck pain. The spine has 23 discs, and they are the cushioning between the vertebrae. Each disc has a center, which is called the nucleus. The nucleus is made of a gel that is water and collagen. It cushions the vertebrae and is a shock-absorber. Around the nucleus is a tougher shell called the annulus. The annulus is made of collagen fibers. A herniated disc happens when there is a weakness in the annulus and part of the nucleus sticks out through a rupture. This can be extremely painful and there is a strong chance that the herniated disc will press on nerves, causing numbness and other problems.
All of these hernias can be fixed by putting something between the thing popping through the muscle and the muscle, or the fascia tissue in the last case. The doctor will push the intestine, or organ, or whatever it is back in. Then they will fix the tear in the muscle. Finally, they will add a piece of surgical mesh to make sure the intestine doesn’t decide to pop back through while it is healing and then to give it more strength afterwards. And this is what I learned today.
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Sources
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hernia
https://practiceplusgroup.com/knowledge-hub/the-different-types-of-hernias-guide
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoracic_diaphragm
https://radiopaedia.org/articles/muscle-hernia
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23251-fascia
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/herniated-disk/symptoms-causes/syc-20354095