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ALL ABOUT HERNIAS

WHAT IS A HERNIA?
Model of a hernia
To understand what a hernia is, you first need to know  your abdomen (belly)  is a kind of "bag" that holds your intestines. Actually it is not a single bag,  but a double bag, with one bag inside the other. The inner bag that holds your intestines is a thin sac somewhat like a rubber balloon. The outer bag is a thick, strong one made of muscle.

The picture on the left shows a model of a hernia. A balloon has been inflated inside an old sock to simulate a thin inner bag inside a strong outer bag. A hole in the sock shows how a weakness or defect in the outer "strong" bag can cause the inner bag  to bulge out of the hole. A real hernia is just such a bulge.

A hernia is a bulge of organs inside the body through a hole or defect.in the body


SO WHAT'S THE FUSS ALL ABOUT?
 An enquiring mind may ask: . "So what's the big deal? So what if something bulges through some hole?"

The answer lies in the fact that the organs that bulge through the hole are sensitive and are damaged by pressure against the hard edge of the hole in the tough outer sac. This damage can lead to severe complications, including gangrene and death. .The complications that can occur from a hernia are too serious for hernias to be ignored - no matter how small or innocuous they may seem.
WHAT TYPES OF HERNIA CAN YOU GET?
Groin Hernia
Hernias can occur in many areas of the body, and through holes that already exist. or holes that were created by surgery, injury or infection. One of the commonest sites of hernia is the groin hernia - which is much more common among men. The picture on the right shows a tell-tale bulge in the left groin of a man with a groin hernia. A groin hernia occiurs through a  hole or weakness of the muscle in the groin through which blood vessels pass. The hole can enlarge to cause a hernia.

An umbilical hernia can occur at the navel, which is another weak spok. Hernia can occur through the sites of operations on the abdomen undr some circumstances, and these hernias are called incisonal hernias.

Other less common hernias can occur, including a brain hernia which is often fatal.

TREATMENT OF HERNIA
Click here
 to read about how hernias can be treated to achieve a permanent cure.
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