Epigastric Hernia

Epigastric hernia

       Your abdomen is lined on the interior with muscles. These muscles are, generally, quite flexible, since they have to be able to sustain your body when bending, lifting, dancing, swimming or simply walking. However, once these muscles have overexerted themselves, the trouble begins. They can no longer hold the abdominal cavity together and the organs are in peril of passing through a canal that has formed. In the case of epigastric hernia, the problem is not so serious, making epigastric hernia one of the mellowest forms of hernia out there.

Epigastric hernia pictures

       In this case, there is no organ threatening to exit your abdominal cavity, but rather just a part of some fatty tissue and the peritoneum (the membrane that surrounds the abdomen on the interior). The weak spots are slightly smaller than those of other kinds of hernia, making it harder for the bulge to form. When talking about epigastric hernia, that well known symptom, the sac, is more of a lump, most of the times not even painful. It is similar to umbilical hernia, the only difference being that it develops in your upper abdomen, from your belly button to your diaphragm. Other symptoms include pain at the site of the hernia, redness around the bulge, vomiting, constipation and, in severe cases, weight loss.

        It has no preference for age or sex. Actually, epigastric hernia is usually present at birth, being considered a congenital defect, though not a serious one. This early manifestation is due to the abdominal muscles of the baby not being fully formed when he or she is born. However, it has a tendency of disappearing on its own after the process is finalized, in a few weeks. In older patients, it can be caused by heavy lifting, coughing, sneezing, diabetes, obesity and pregnancy.

        Just like any type of hernia, there are two subtypes of epigastric hernia:

• A reversible version: the bulge, rarely painful and sometimes quite small, can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity with slow and gentle movements. It is recommended that this is done only by a physician or by the patient under a medical doctors' direct supervision. Do not use a lot of force or sudden moves because you could cause even more damage.
• An irreversible version: this time, the bulge is no longer able to slide from one side to the other. Usually, this is the moment in which the epigastric hernia becomes so painful that it is almost impossible to touch it. The reason behind all that pain is that the part of your internal organs that is trapped inside that bulge is no longer getting a constant blood supply and it is starting to die, slowly but surely. Surgery is the only way to fix this type of epigastric hernia. However, this is an uncommon situation.