What Is an Abdominal Hernia?
An abdominal hernia occurs when an organ or fatty tissue bulges through a weak spot of nearby muscle or surrounding tissue in the abdominal wall. Abdominal hernias can be treated with a variety of abdominal binders
What Causes an Abdominal Hernia?
Abdominal hernias are triggered by a combination of pressure and an opening or weak spot in the abdominal wall, causing the pressure to push the organ or tissue through the opening. An abdominal binder can help ease abdominal hernia pain by protecting the incision site by applying pressure.
Anything that causes an increase in pressure in the abdomen can trigger a hernia, such as:
- Improper lifting of heavy objects
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Persistent coughing or sneezing
Abdominal & Stomach Hernia Signs and Symptoms
- A bulge in your groin, upper thigh, abdomen or navel area
- Burning, gurgling or aching sensation at the bulge
- Pain or discomfort, especially when bending over, coughing, or lifting
- Area may ache, but when touched it is not tender
- Nausea, vomiting, and fever
Types of Hernias
1. Femoral Hernia
Femoral Hernias are typically located in the groin or upper thigh. This type of hernia occurs when a small part of the intestine pushes through the wall of the femoral canal. The femoral canal contains the femoral artery, smaller veins, and nerves. Women are three times more likely than men to suffer from femoral hernias. For a femoral hernia, you would not typically use an abdominal binder or belt. For femoral hernia surgery recovery or for femoral hernia pain relief, the best treatment brace would be our hernia compression shorts which have a unique hernia wrap that can be placed over the specific location of your hernia for customized pain relief.
2. Parastomal Hernia
Parastomal hernias are a type of hernia that develops when a deficiency in the stomach wall allows part of the bowel to bulge out, which causes swelling around the stoma. A stoma is a an opening that was constructed surgically on the outside of the abdomen to allow urine or feces into an exterior pouch, following removal of the urinary system or bowel. If you have a stoma, you may want to consider our ostomy support belt, which prevents leaking and eases the pain of hernias after surgical procedures. During pastoral hernia surgery recovery, an abdominal binder for hernia repair would be beneficial.
3. Bariatric Hernia
A bariatric hernia occurs after a patient undergoes gastric bypass or bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery). View all plus-size abdominal supports for larger men and women. A bariatric hernia is caused when the abdominal wall becomes weakened or damaged during surgery. Using a bariatric hernia belt can help repair the abdominal wall and ease pain through compression. We offer abdominal binders in 2XL, 3XL and even 4XL sizes for plus-size patients recovering from any type of hernia surgery.
4. Epigastric Hernia
Epigastric hernias occur when fat protrudes through a weak section of the stomach. This hernia occurs in the middle of the abdomen between the breastbone and the belly button. Most often these hernias are small, but you can have multiple at once. For epigastric hernias, an abdominal binder for a hernia is recommended to protect the incision site from hernia surgeries or to apply pressure in weak abdominal areas to prevent a hernia from occurring.
5. Incisional Hernia
Incisional hernias are caused by surgical procedures in the stomach. This type of hernia typically occurs along a vertical incision of the abdomen. Incisional hernias can occur months or even years after the surgery. To help ease the pain after an Incisional Hernia an abdominal binder for hernia is recommended, through pressure or compression the hernia binder is able to help in recovering from hernia surgery.
6. Umbilical Hernia
Umbilical hernias occur when intestine fat or fluid pushes through a weak spot in the stomach, causing swelling near the belly button. Umbilical hernias are common in infants, but often times close on their own by age 1. This type of hernia can also occur in adults who suffer from health conditions causing pressure in the stomach, such as being overweight, pregnant, or ascites (excess fluid in the belly). To relieve pain in the abdominal area caused by umbilical hernias, a umbilical hernia binder is recommended. With this hernia binder belt, pressure is applied to protect and heal these weak areas.
7. Inguinal Hernia
Inguinal Hernias occur when tissue pushes through a weak spot in the groin muscle. This area is often weak due to the opening in the muscle wall not closing before birth. Common symptoms of inguinal hernias include a bulge in the groin or scrotum, and pain or burning. Surgery is the only way to treat Inguinal Hernias, as they will not heal on their own. After Inguinal Hernia surgery, it is recommended to use the inguinal hernia binder compression shorts. This hernia support binder has a groin wrap that helps to relieve pressure from the Inguinal Hernia. The groin wrap has detachable and adjustable straps to allow you to apply pressure in the needed areas.
Abdominal Hernia Treatment
Typical treatment for most abdominal hernia conditions is a conventional hernia-repair surgery, known as Herniorrhaphy. A single long incision is made in the affected area with this abdominal hernia surgery. If a hernia is bulging out of the abdominal wall, the bulge is pushed back into place or tied off and removed. For smaller abdominal hernias, sewing the edges of the healthy muscle tissue together will repair the weak sections. After an abdominal hernia-repair surgery, a post-surgical abdominal binder is suggested to protect the incision site and quicken the recovery process.
Another common procedure for abdominal hernias is the use of mesh patches of synthetic material to repair the affected area, often used for larger hernias that are reoccurring. Patches are sewn over the weak area in the stomach wall after a hernia is pushed back into place. The mesh patch will then decrease the tension of the weakened stomach wall, reducing the risk of a hernia returning.
After hernia surgeries, most people are able to go home the day of their procedure, and recovery time lasts about 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, individuals are able to participate in light activity, but it's recommended to wait 6 weeks for strenuous exercise.
An abdominal binder for various hernia procedures is recommended to help the incision heal and protect the incision site. The hernia binder will also ease pain by compressing the affected area.
In some cases, surgery is not needed, although wearing an abdominal hernia support or belt will put pressure on the weak area of the abdomen wall, which may prevent a hernia from occurring. To avoid an abdominal hernia from recurring, an abdominal hernia binder is suggested to compress the weak area of the abdominal wall.
Abdominal hernia binders are very helpful in accelerating the recovery process after hernia surgeries and easing the abdominal-related pain. These hernia binders are offered for men and women with a variety of sizing options, including a plus-size bariatric binder running from XL to 4XL.
Self-Care for Hernias
It is advised to see a doctor if you notice symptoms of an abdominal hernia, but there are some things you can do to offer relief from an abdominal hernia. There are particular activities that should be avoided, including lifting, coughing, or straining the area. These will cause the hernia to increase in size.
Compressing ice against the hernia is one of the most effective home remedies. This can help ease the pain and swelling that is caused by the hernia. You should avoid applying heat or pressure to the affected area.
It is also recommended to eat smaller, more frequent meals during the day including fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Individuals should avoid consuming alcohol as well. If you are exercising, make sure you are not doing it on a full stomach. Individuals should also refrain from lying down or bending over soon after eating.