Ventral Hernia Symptoms

There are several types of hernia, viz., abdominal wall hernia, direct inguinal hernia, femoral hernia, umbilical hernia, hiatal hernia and ventral hernia (incisional hernia). For the uninitiated, hernia is a medical condition that leads to opening or weakening of muscular structure of abdominal wall. Ventral hernia is a specific case of hernia which occurs on an abdominal area that has undergone some surgical procedure. Some part of an organ in the abdomen, for instance, intestines and bowel protrudes through the weakened area of abdominal wall.

Causes
One of the most common ventral hernia causes are old surgical procedures. It is more of a defect in surgery that pops up after some time. Ventral hernia occurs at the site of a surgical incision. People involved in intense physical activities such as extra muscular effort, lifting heavy loads or extreme pressure due to some exercise immediately after surgical procedure involving incision (before it has healed completely) in abdominal area, can develop ventral hernia. Even excessive coughing due to any medical problem increases pressure on incised area in the abdomen. There can be more acute cases of ventral hernia, if it's not treated within time.

• Strangulation: Often, it happens that a certain part of intestine may stuck in abdominal walls causing the blood supply to cut off to intestines.
• Incarcerated Hernia: Accompanied by severe pain, this hernia occurs in case the intestine loop gets trapped.

Symptoms
Following are some of the signs of ventral hernia.

Pain
Due to poor blood supply to the organ being strangulated inside the abdominal area, there can be intense pain in the abdominal pain. This pain can often be very excessive and beyond control. Signs of incisional hernia, along with fever, the most common signs of this hernia.

Peritonitis
The tissue peritoneum surrounds inner abdominal walls and it also covers the organs within. An inflammation in the peritoneum is known as peritonitis and is caused due to bacterial infection. Some of the obvious symptoms of peritonitis include tenderness in right abdomen. Some people may also complain of increased urination in the normal life.

Constipation
Due to abdominal problems after surgery, constipation can severely affect the ability to pass stool due to obstruction to waste products.

Nausea and Vomiting
One of the signs of ventral hernia is that it is very prominent is nausea and vomiting. Since the hernia obstructs smooth passage of digested food, contents in the intestine can be thrown back. The vomiting may be accompanied by presence of bile, proving it to be coming from intestine.

Treatment
Incisional hernia repair requires immediate medical attention as it can interfere with the lifestyle of an individual. Generally, people with ventral hernia are advised to wear specially designed belt, known as truss as that prevents the hernia from bulging. Patients with ventral hernia must also avoid exercises involving strenuous physical activities. In case, ventral hernia is not treated timely or is treated by some other ways, there lies the risk of developing strangulated hernia, which is more serious. Hence, people are more willing to go for surgery to rectify this complication. In the process of ventral hernia removal, the bulging organ is pushed back into its place and the abdominal wall is repaired restore its integrity and avoid future complications. Earlier herniorrhaphy or hernioplasty, also better known as hernia surgery that required large incisions was used to treat hernia. However, in the recent years, laparoscopic surgery is used to treat ventral hernia.

It has to be understood that occurrence of ventral hernia symptoms in men or women may not only be due to lifting heavy weights, however, this fact does not minimizes the risk of ventral hernia. Ventral hernia problems can be acute, if not treated timely, however, risk of ventral hernia can be reduced by following a very healthy diet (rich in fiber), consuming plenty of fluid, managing proper weight and light exercises. Besides that, one should follow a very healthy lifestyle and must avoid smoking. Understanding body limits and lifting manageable loads is advisable. Visiting a medical expert and going through proper diagnosis is essential to treat ventral hernia if you think you are witnessing its symptoms.