What is a Hernia?

A her­nia occurs when there is a defect or weak­ness, typ­i­cal­ly in the abdom­i­nal wall, through which tis­sue can pro­trude. Her­nias most com­mon­ly occur at the navel (bel­ly but­ton) and groin areas. They can be present at birth or devel­op over time. The groups with the high­est risk of her­nias include men, preg­nant women, and those who are involved with heavy lift­ing, push­ing, or pulling through exer­cise or at work. While most her­nias are not imme­di­ate­ly life threat­en­ing, they don’t resolve on their own and surgery is need­ed to repair the defect to pre­vent poten­tial­ly seri­ous complications. 

The most com­mon symp­tom of a her­nia is a bulge or lump in the affect­ed area. You are most like­ly to find a her­nia through phys­i­cal exam­i­na­tion when you’re stand­ing up, bend­ing over, or cough­ing. Dis­com­fort or pain in the area around the lump is anoth­er symp­tom, but in many cas­es, her­nias have no symp­toms at all. That’s why Duly is offer­ing free her­nia screen­ing exams through Decem­ber 30th, 2021. Click here to learn more about sched­ul­ing your free her­nia screening.

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  • To provide quality, efficient and compassionate care.