Hernias occur in as many as 1 out of 10 people during their lifetime.
Some patients are more at risk than others:
- Men seem to have a higher risk of developing a hernia. 9 out 10 hernia patients are male.
- Individuals with a family history of hernia makes them more likely to develop a hernia.
- Older patients with weaker tissues are at a higher risk of developing a hernia.
- Premature Newborns have particularly weak abdominal muscular anatomy making them a high risk group for developing abdominal hernias.
- Post-pregnant women can sometimes be more susceptible to developing hernias due to weaker abdominal tissues
Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing a hernia include:
- Obesity: Abdominal muscles are progressively infiltrated with fat weakening them. This fat inside your abdomen increases the pressure inside, weakening tissues over time.
- Straining: Activities that strain the abdominal muscles such as repetitive lifting heavy weights or coughing.
- Smoking: Weakens tissue and prevents injured tissues from healing properly.
Here is an example of a Post-pregnancy related hernia. The video shows a woman in her forties, after multiple pregnancies (pressure inside), with a reducible Umbilical (belly button) hernia.
This video shows a lower abdominal Spigelian hernia.