How are Abdominal Hernias Diagnosed?
A clinical evaluation is used to diagnose abdominal hernia. Read on to learn abdominal hernia diagnosis and why you should seek treatment for abdominal hernias.
Doctors often rely on a physical exam to diagnose abdominal hernias. In some case, a hernia swelling may be visible or can be felt when a hand is placed directly over it and then bear down. Because a hernia may be felt only when abdominal pressure is increased, you will be asked to stand upright during the diagnosis.
In the event the no hernia is palpable, you will be asked to cough or perform Valsalva maneuver as the doctor palpates the adnominal wall. The clinical examination focuses on the inguinal area, the umbilicus, the femoral area and any incisions that are visible.
For a femoral hernia, an ultrasound may be used to determine if it is apparent. Also, an abdominal X-ray may be conducted to check for the presence of a bowel construction.
World-Class Hernia Treatment in El Paso
If you’re diagnosed with a hernia, the doctor may recommend various treatments options to help you restore the quality of your life.
An umbilical hernia in a baby may heal itself within four years, making hernia repair surgery unnecessary.
Generally, hernias produce less troubling symptoms, allowing people to live with it and monitor it. However, you should seek immediate treatment if you experience serious abdominal complaints. The risk of living with a hernia is that the protruding organ may become strangulated, cutting off blood supply or causing the abdomen to swell. This can be life-threatening, especially if the strangulated intestinal hernia becomes infected or perforated.
A hernia repair surgery is the conventional treatment solution for hernias. This treatment is performed under local anesthesia with the purpose of repairing the damaged muscle wall.
Hernia repairs are usually carried out as an outpatient procedure, which means you get to go home on the same day. In fact, you can resume work and routine activities within one to two weeks following the surgery. But full recovery takes up to 4 weeks and you should not lift heavy objects for two months.
Making important life changes like keeping your body weight in healthy range and taking regular exercises can go a long way toward preventing hernias from reoccurring.
An untreated hernia will not go away. Come for comprehensive and effective hernia treatment performed by Dr. Benjamin Clapp in El Paso. Dr. Benjamin Clapp is committed to helping you overcome effects of hernia through effective hernia repair surgery at our state-of the art El Paso facility.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment.