what, exactly, is a hernia? What are its symptoms? Do they only affect men? (where’s tatertot when you need her?)
from http://www.m-w.com
Main Entry: her·nia
Pronunciation: 'h&r-nE-&
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ni·as or her·ni·ae /-nE-"E, -nE-"I/
Etymology: Latin – more at YARN
Date: 14th century
: a protrusion of an organ or part through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity in which it is normally enclosed – called also rupture
- her·ni·al /-nE-&l/ adjective
in layman’s terms, your inner lining rips and your intestines poke through.
ouch.
Thank you, Phobos. Here’s a little more info I picked up in the process of getting two of 'em fixed.
1.Women can get inguinal (groin) hernias, but it’s rare. I know a woman who had one.
2.Symptoms range from a new bulge on your abdomen to a new bulge with extreme pain. Consult your doctor.
3.The main reason to get it fixed is the risk of a strangulated hernia, in which a loop of intestine or blood vessel gets pushed out and squeezed, shutting of the flow of blood and/or digestion. If you get one of those, it can be fatal.
4.When I asked my surgeon how to prevent getting another hernia after he fixed the first, left, one, he replied,“Choose different parents.” The risk is genetic. The patch, by the way, is stronger than the original tissue, so I’m unlikely to get another inguinal hernia. I’ve had both sides done.
5.Hernias can happen at the belly button, too.
As for my level expertness, I’m a patient, not a doctor.