How does an inguinal hernia progress in women?

It should be noted right away: this problem occurs relatively rarely among women. What explains this? Because the walls of their inguinal canal are much stronger than those of men. Among the main reasons causing the occurrence of the disease, it is customary to highlight:

1. pregnancy;
2. obesity;
3. tissue atrophy in old age;
4. excessive physical activity;
5. constipation

Often, an inguinal hernia in women does not manifest itself at all, especially in the early stages. Well, over time, a noticeable round protrusion forms in the lower abdomen. Inside it are located various organs of the abdominal cavity (the omentum, in particular, or intestinal loops).

Usually the appearance of a hernia is accompanied by nagging pain. It can also cause disruption of the digestive tract. In this case, the woman experiences constipation, nausea begins, etc. Infringement of the contents of the hernial sac can provoke its necrosis, which will be accompanied by an increase in temperature and paroxysmal pain.

Diagnosis and treatment: how to help the patient.

The signs listed above do not always accompany the disease. When it is asymptomatic, diagnosis usually occurs by chance (during examination for another disease). Ultrasound examination is considered one of the most effective methods.

If there is a characteristic protrusion, an external examination is often sufficient. And yet, the use of visualization methods is considered necessary: ​​this way you can understand the state of the contents of the hernial sac.

As for treating the problem, the only effective method today is surgery. It can be carried out in several ways, and the difference between them lies in the features of the implementation.

The classic method is the so-called tension hernioplasty. In this case, doctors use the patient’s own tissue to strengthen the inguinal canal. The main disadvantage of operations of this type is the high risk of relapse: it can reach 20%.

That's why doctors have developed an alternative method based on the use of an endoprosthesis. It is a mesh made of a special material that is completely compatible with body tissues. Over time, the endoprosthesis becomes overgrown with them and even integrates into them, and then the probability of relapse drops to 1%.