Why do hernias occur? What causes hernia?

When the holes in the belly get big enough, a hernia will occur regardless of the intra-abdominal pressure, so these holes are the key. To be precise, "Why do these holes appear?" is the real original cause of hernia.

1. Congenital defects

When the fetus is developing, the peritoneum accompanies the testicles or the round ligament of the uterus and descends through the inguinal canal to form the processus vaginalis (Nuck canal in women). If this protrusion is not closed, it will become the hole for indirect hernia in children, so hernia is more common in premature babies. During surgery for direct hernia in young adults, it is often found that there are deficiencies and structural abnormalities in the local muscle fascia in the lower abdomen.

2. Trauma

The human body suffers from trauma, muscle strain, repeated friction, etc., which causes local tissue defects and weakness. For example, an incisional hernia occurs when a surgical incision does not heal well, leaving a hole. High-impact exercise or severe trauma can indeed damage tissue and cause a hernia, such as sports hernias in athletes. But normal exercise won't do that.

3. Abnormal tissue metabolism

The elastic fibers and collagen in the human body's connective tissue are similar to steel bars and cement. Too little steel bars will make the wall too brittle; too little cement will make the wall insufficiently strong. A hernia occurs when the connective tissue becomes abnormal. People who smoke for a long time have collagen synthesis disorders, and patients with aneurysms, varicose veins, etc. have abnormal elastic fibers, so the incidence of hernia is much higher than that of normal people. Eating habits and severe malnutrition can also lead to tissue weakness due to metabolic disorders.

4. Innate inheritance

If the father has a hernia, the children will often get hernia too. Brothers and sisters may also suffer from hernia, so hernia is a hereditary disease. It has been found that some gene or chromosomal diseases can cause congenital developmental defects, affect connective tissue metabolism and ultimately lead to abdominal wall defects and multiple hernias. For example, EDS, Marfan syndrome, and cutis laxa are like this.