How long can you live with a hernia? The absolute answer is that it is “unpredictable.” Some can live with a hernia for their whole life while others will develop a hernia related emergency within months of the development of their hernia.
What are the symptoms of an untreated hernia?
If the contents of the hernia become trapped in the weak point in the abdominal wall, the contents can obstruct the bowel, leading to severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and the inability to have a bowel movement or pass gas. Strangulation. An incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of your intestine.
Is it OK to live with a hernia?
If left untreated, however, a hernia can cause serious complications such as a bowel obstruction (resulting in severe pain, nausea or constipation) or intestinal strangulation (if the trapped section of the intestines does not get enough blood).
Can you live with hernia without knowing?
Indeed, many hernias go unnoticed and undiagnosed for years, decades or even the remainder of the patient’s life. Asymptomatic hernias, as they are known, do not warrant treatment, in most cases, because we simply do not know they exist, but also because the risk of strangulation is very low.
How long can you live with an untreated hernia Related Questions
Can you fix a hernia without surgery?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. While a hernia cannot heal itself, it can almost always be treated effectively with surgery.
How do I know if my hernia is getting worse?
Generally, hernias aren’t life threatening, but you can develop serious complications. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should speak with your medical provider right away: sudden pain that gets worse quickly. nausea and vomiting.
What happens if hernia bursts?
This strangulated tissue can rupture and release toxins and spread bacterial infection into the bloodstream, which could lead to fatal conditions such as sepsis. Incarcerated and strangulated hernias are medical emergencies which surgeries are urgently required.
Is hernia surgery a major surgery?
Open hernia repair is a major surgery that’s performed with the aid of general anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. It’s done through one or two standard-sized incisions (three to six inches in length) that allow the surgeon to fully visualize and access the problematic area.
How long can you wait to have hernia surgery?
Many people are able to delay surgery for months or even years. And some people may never need surgery for a small hernia. If the hernia is small and you don’t have any symptoms, or if the symptoms don’t bother you much, you and your doctor may simply continue to watch for symptoms to occur.
What to do while waiting for hernia surgery?
Take good care of yourself in the days/weeks leading up to your surgery. Eat well, stay hydrated, exercise at levels that do not cause excessive pain to the hernia and get plenty of sleep. Remember #1 — try to keep a positive outlook – over 1 million people go through hernia surgery each year in the US.
Should I push my hernia back in?
Most inguinal hernias can be pushed back into the belly with gentle massage and pressure. An inguinal hernia will not heal on its own. If you have symptoms, or the hernia is growing, you may need surgery.
Does hernia surgery hurt?
You will likely feel sore and uncomfortable after hernia surgery while the incision site heals. While some people experience pain a month or more after hernia surgery, most people feel better a couple of weeks.
How long do you stay in hospital after open hernia surgery?
After Surgery Hernia repair surgery normally only requires a 23-hour or less stay. Most patients go home the same day. Abdominal wall hernia repairs may require up to a two-day hospital stay due to the internal stitches and healing that is required.
What flares up a hernia?
Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as while coughing, vomiting, straining during a bowel movement, exercising or lifting heavy objects.
What type of hernia does not need surgery?
Recommended. You may be able to wait to have surgery if: Your hernia goes away when you lie down, or you can push it back into your belly. This is called a reducible hernia.
How can I shrink my hernia naturally?
Milk with a pinch of turmeric powder. A herbal mixture including fennel, citrus seeds, and hawthorn & litchi seeds. Smaller meals at regular intervals. High water intake. High fibre, high protein, low fat diet. Fresh green vegetables. Whole wheat ingredients.
How do you prevent a hernia from getting worse?
Avoid heavy lifting when you can. Lifting puts stress on the groin. When you must lift, don’t bend over. Lift objects by using the legs, not the back. Eat high-fiber foods and drink plenty of water. Maintain a healthy body weight.
What does a hernia look like?
Appearance. The hernia will look like a bulge or bump in the scrotum or groin region. Standing or bearing down with force will often make the bulge more noticeable. The bulge typically takes time to appear, but it can form suddenly after coughing, lifting heavy weights, straining, bending, or laughing.
What are the 5 warning signs of hernia?
A painful bulge that doesn’t reduce in size when you lay down and rest. Worsening pain. Nausea and/or vomiting. Difficulty having a bowel movement. Bloating. Racing heart rate. Fever.
When should you not reduce a hernia?
Manual reduction is contraindicated in strangulated hernias. In such cases, nasogastric suction, fluid replacement, and antibiotic therapy can be started. If the diagnosis of strangulated hernia is missed and manual reduction is performed, necrotic bowel may be introduced into the abdomen.