Can You Die from A Hernia?

… Continued …

1. Chronic coughing. If you have hernia, even though the mild one, chronic coughing can worsen the problem and over time this may increase your risk of developing an incarcerated hernia.
2. Constipation that doesn’t relieve with lifestyle measures. If you’re being constipated, you tend to make more straining during bowel movement, making your hernia worse.
3. Severe, sharp pain in or around the bulge.
4. If you experience other unusual symptoms such as a general feeling of illness (with /without fever), blood in the stools, lethargy (fatigue), severe nausea & vomiting, changes in the skin over the hernia (such as inflammation or tenderness), abnormally rapid heart rate, and inability to pass stools /gas.

But it’s also possible you don’t have any warning signs before the attack – incarcerated and strangulated hernia might occur very suddenly indeed. For example, the pain can quickly become severe (within minutes) and doesn’t relieve without surgical intervention.

A surgical repair for a strangulated hernia is an emergency. The priority goal is to ‘reduce’ the hernia so the entrapped abdominal tissues can be quickly released and returned where they belong inside your abdominal cavity before they’re permanently damaged. The next goal is to ‘repair’ the hernia, preventing it from coming back.

Strangulation may also occur from the smaller hernias. Sometimes the smaller ones might get trapped more easily than the larger ones. So it’s better to keep alert with the disease, even though if you have the mild one!

 The good news, incarcerated and strangulated hernias are treatable. Even the outcome for many patients who have had them is quite awesome, especially if treatment is given immediately before the damage becomes permanent. The key is to get appropriate treatment as soon as possible!

Though strangulated hernia could be fatal, fortunately it’s rare. Most people with hernias don’t develop strangulation. But this doesn’t mean you can underestimate the disease! To keep safe, again check it regularly. If it starts causing any problem (even minor problem), tell your doctor!