What causes hernia in adults?

Hernia is a relatively common disease, and the main groups affected are infants and young children. Of course, adult hernias also occur from time to time. Adult hernias are mainly located in the groin area where the abdomen and thigh meet, also called inguinal hernias. They are significantly more common in men than in women, and there are many causes, including both congenital and acquired factors. For example, increased abdominal pressure is an important cause of adult hernias.

The result of the combined effect of innate and acquired factors.

1. Congenital factors: As mentioned above, the inguinal area is the lowest part of the abdominal cavity when the human body is standing, and it is subject to the greatest pressure. At the same time, the inguinal area lacks complete muscle coverage, and the spermatic cord or round ligament of the uterus passes through it. Therefore, with increasing age, the abdominal wall gradually weakens and the incidence rate gradually increases.

Inguinal hernia is more common in men and is related to testicular descent. At the same time, the occurrence of inguinal hernia is also related to genetic factors. Inguinal hernias often have a family history, and it is not uncommon for brothers or father and son to have them at the same time. Other genetic factors include abnormalities in local anatomical structure and collagen metabolism.

2. Acquired factors are the main factors that cause increased abdominal pressure. The most common ones include chronic cough and sputum caused by chronic bronchitis, long-term constipation, and difficulty urinating caused by prostate hypertrophy, etc. These situations are very common among the elderly. The relatively weak inguinal area cannot withstand the long-term increased abdominal pressure, which eventually leads to the occurrence of inguinal hernia.

Other common factors that cause increased abdominal pressure include heavy physical labor, ascites due to cirrhosis, pregnancy, etc. In addition, it is particularly worth mentioning that although smoking has nothing to do with increased abdominal pressure, it can promote the occurrence of inguinal hernia by affecting collagen metabolism. At the same time, smokers are prone to chronic cough, so the incidence of inguinal hernia in smokers is much higher than that in non-smokers.

Most inguinal hernias in adults occur due to acquired factors in addition to congenital weaknesses, so the incidence rate increases with age.

Clinical manifestations

1. Characteristic clinical manifestations: A lump that appears and disappears or changes size in the groin area at the junction of the lower abdomen and thigh. This stage is also called reducible hernia. The lump appears or becomes larger when standing or when the abdominal pressure increases. In the early stages, it may disappear on its own or be pressed by hand when lying down, or become smaller. In the early stages, patients usually have no significant discomfort except for characteristic lumps.

2. As the disease progresses, the lump will gradually grow larger as the defect expands, and part of it may even fall into the scrotum. Patients may also experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal distension and abdominal discomfort, which will improve after lying down. In some patients, the lump may not disappear but continue to exist due to adhesion of the hernia contents to the hernia sac and hernia ring. This stage is also called irreducible hernia. Some patients will have symptoms of intestinal adhesion and intestinal obstruction.

3. Some patients may become incarcerated due to a sudden increase in abdominal pressure. If not treated in time, serious conditions such as strangulation and intestinal necrosis may occur, and may even lead to death.