Acidity and GERD: Beyond the Antacid Bottle
Reaching for an antacid several times a week is not a solution — it is a symptom. Persistent reflux damages the oesophagus and occasionally hides something more serious.
Read articleA hernia is a bulge that appears when part of the intestine or fat pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Hernias never heal on their own and generally enlarge; the danger is that the contents become trapped.
Symptoms
Not everyone gets every symptom, and the pattern can differ in older people, in people with diabetes and in children. These are the ones most often reported.
- A swelling in the groin, at the navel or over an old surgical scar
- A lump that appears on standing, coughing or lifting and disappears on lying down
- Dragging discomfort or heaviness, worse at the end of a working day
- Increasing size of the swelling over months
- Pain on straining, lifting weight or passing stool
When to see a doctor
Do not wait these out
If any of the following applies, arrange to be seen the same day. For anything sudden or severe, call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department at SIMS — it is open 24 hours and does not need an appointment.
- A hernia that becomes hard, painful and cannot be pushed back — attend the emergency department immediately
- Hernia with vomiting, abdominal distension or no passage of stool and gas
- Any new groin or abdominal wall swelling, for planned assessment
- Redness or discolouration of the skin over the swelling
Tests that may be advised
Your consultant will order only the investigations that change the plan. Most of the following are available on the SIMS campus, so results usually come back the same visit.
- Clinical examination while standing and coughing
- Ultrasound of the abdominal wall or groin where the diagnosis is uncertain
- CT scan for complex, recurrent or incisional hernias
- Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and fitness assessment
- Assessment for chronic cough, constipation or prostate enlargement, which raise recurrence risk
How it is treated
Treatment is decided case by case — by how advanced the problem is, what else you are being treated for, and what you can realistically sustain. Broadly, it involves the following.
- Planned surgical repair, which is far safer than emergency surgery after obstruction
- Laparoscopic repair with mesh where suitable, with a quicker return to work
- Open mesh repair for large, recurrent or complicated hernias
- Emergency surgery for a trapped or strangulated hernia
- Treating cough, constipation and urinary straining, and avoiding heavy lifting during recovery
This page is general information, not a diagnosis
Hernia can look like several other conditions, and the reverse is equally true. Nothing here can replace an examination, your test results and the judgement of the doctor treating you — and no medicine mentioned by name to a friend or relative should be started on the strength of this page. If you recognise yourself in it, book a consultation with the General Surgery department. If a symptom is sudden or severe, call 9281862028.
