Got pain in your belly Could be an epigastric Hernia! Read on symptoms here!

Epigastric Hernia

Epigastric hernia usually occurs in infants. It is normally present from birth. They are the bulges and lumps which may occur in the upper portion of the abdominal wall known as the epigastrium. This is just below the breastbone and above the navel.  It is also possible to have more than one epigastric hernia at once. Their size may also vary. Normally they are small but large Epigastric hernias may cause stomach or fatty tissue to push through.

They occur because of a weakness in the abdominal wall muscles or because of a partially developed closure of the abdominal tissue. Sometimes such problems are not revealed until later ages in life. Such a hernia may cause pieces of bowel and fat to get trapped.

Symptoms

Symptoms in children and adults include:

·         Pain
·         Tenderness
·        Bulge or a bump in the abdomen which can be felt

Symptoms may be aggravated upon straining during bowel movements and crying. Symptoms of some epigastric hernias may always not be present. They may come and go.

Diagnosis

Your Doctor may touch and feel the sight of hernia for evaluation. He may also perform tests on you such as X-rays, Ultra-sound and Ct-Scan to get a clear standing on the condition. These tests are also performed to rule out other complications and problems.

Surgery

Although such hernias can be left alone but the pain caused by it will continue. There may also be complications. The problem with such hernias is that they do not heal on their own. Patients with such hernias are recommended to consider surgery to avoid complications. The surgery performed to repair such hernias is usually practiced under general anaesthesia. After surgery you should expect a positive outcome. Most patients find relief after surgery and enjoy a better quality of life.

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