What is umbilical hernia?
Umbilical hernias can happen anywhere in or around the umbilicus. They can be as big as a hazelnut or as big as an orange. Some umbilical hernias go unnoticed because their size can vary. Umbilical hernias are more likely to happen to women because they are more likely to happen during pregnancy. An umbilical hernia that happened during pregnancy is not hard to figure out. The area around the belly button, which should normally point in, points out in a round shape. This umbilical hernia that came out during pregnancy is not dangerous, but if it stays there after the pregnancy is over, it may need to be treated.
Umbilical hernia is a visible swelling of the organs under the skin that can be caused by many different things. A sign of an umbilical hernia is pain in the belly button area when you cough or strain. But you should wait until you can see it growing before going to a doctor. Because an umbilical hernia will get worse quickly if it is real.
Umbilical hernia can happen to both babies and adults. It can happen in the navel of babies who tense their stomachs when they cry, but there is no need to worry because it will go away soon. Treatment is possible because there are changes that can be seen.
What Causes an Umbilical Hernia?
In pregnant women;
Most women who have the most common kind of umbilical hernia are pregnant. When they go to the doctor, pregnant women who say their bellies hurt when they strain find out that they have a hernia in their bellies. Umbilical hernia is nothing to worry about. It can happen to any pregnant woman and usually goes away when the pregnancy is over and the belly button drops. But if the swelling in the belly goes down, but the hernia stays, it is thought to be serious. It has to be taken care of.
The umbilical hernia happens where the blood that flows between the mother and the baby enters the baby’s abdominal wall. Since the hole where the umbilical hernia comes out is a weak one that was there from birth, it is a good place for the hernia to come out. An umbilical hernia can also happen if you put on a lot of weight quickly or if you sit up quickly. Women who are pregnant and have an umbilical hernia are told not to lift heavy things and, if they can, not to work at all.
In Adults and Children;
Umbilical hernias happen when the cord that connects the mother’s blood supply to the baby’s abdominal wall falls off a few days after birth, or when the cord closes and opens as the baby grows. In other words, the umbilical pit, also known as the weak congenital point, affects how the umbilical hernia forms while the baby is still in the mother’s womb.
If the baby’s pit is closed when the umbilical cord falls off, he/she will not get an umbilical hernia. If it is not closed, he/she will get one. That is why umbilical hernias happen more often in babies.
Umbilical hernia in adults is caused by reopening the umbilical pit, which was closed when the person was a baby.
Causes of Umbilical Hernia
- Pressure in the belly rising sharply
- Too much straining (in pregnant women)
- Too much and too fast weight gain (Again, the reason why it occurs, especially in pregnant women.)
- Loss of weight right away
- Masses in the abdomen can be caused by other diseases
- Too many babies being born
- Being careless and quick when you sit down or get up.
- Overpressure
- Do not put too much on the lower back.
- Having to lift very heavy loads several times a day
- Disease of the liver
- Constipation
- Prostate
- Umbilical hernia is most often caused by a few problems that women have during pregnancy.
Aside from these, some surgeries for other diseases can also cause an umbilical hernia to happen. About 10% of people who have surgery end up with a hernia. It can also get bigger. Because of this, people who have had surgery are told not to lift heavy things or eat too much. They are also told to be careful when sitting down and getting up. If not, the person who had surgery will have to have another surgery to fix an umbilical hernia.
