A few months ago, I went to see the doctor because I was experience some intense stomach pain. During my check up, he noticed that my navel was protruding slightly and he said that it looked like a hernia, which was probably the cause of my abdominal pain. I told him that my navel had always been that way, and this was very common in my family and in Nigeria. He suggested that I go for further checkup, which I never did.
This got me thinking if many people in Nigeria had abdominal hernias. Is every abdominal protrusion a hernia? I googled up some images of abdominal hernias, none of which exactly looked like my navel region. I`m still doing some research into this, but here`s some information I got from emedicinehealth and MedicineNet.com:
This got me thinking if many people in Nigeria had abdominal hernias. Is every abdominal protrusion a hernia? I googled up some images of abdominal hernias, none of which exactly looked like my navel region. I`m still doing some research into this, but here`s some information I got from emedicinehealth and MedicineNet.com:
A hernia is a general term that refers to a protrusion of a body
tissue through a wall of a cavity in which it is normally contained.
For example, brain tissue can herniate as can discs in the spine. A common herniation in people is an abdominal herniation. The following article will discuss these hernias.
An abdominal hernia is an opening or weakness
in the muscular structure of the wall of the abdomen. The peritoneum
(lining of the abdominal cavity) protrudes through the opening and this
defect causes a bulging of the abdominal wall. This bulging is usually
more noticeable when the abdominal muscles are tightened, thereby
increasing the pressure in the abdomen. Any activities that increase
intra-abdominal pressure can worsen a hernia;
Umbilical hernia: These common hernias (10%-30%) are often noted at
birth as a protrusion at the bellybutton (the umbilicus). This is caused
when an opening in the abdominal wall, which normally closes before
birth, doesn't close completely. If small (less than half an inch), this
type of hernia usually closes gradually by age 2. Larger hernias and
those that do not close by themselves usually require surgery at age 2-4
years. Even if the area is closed at birth, umbilical hernias can
appear later in life because this spot may remain a weaker place in the
abdominal wall. Umbilical hernias can appear later in life or in women
who are pregnant or who have given birth (due to the added stress on the area).
