hernia

floyd · 03-26-2003, 07:00 PM

im a c5 quad and ive just developed a hernia, how common are these in people with sci? with having no stomach muscles i thought it would be quite common but have never heard it talked about?

thanx

SCI-Nurse · 03-26-2003, 07:28 PM

Where is your hernia? There are a variety of places these can occur. Most common in men is inguinal hernias which often are the result of heavy lifting, but can also be a result of aging or genetics. There is really nothing specific to SCI that would make you more likely to have a hernia.

Other less common hernias are around or next to the belly button (umbilical hernia) or an incisional hernia where an old abdominal surgery incision has split at the muscle but not at the skin. Generally hernias do not need treatment unless they cause pain or trap (incarcerate) an organ such as the testicle or bowel.

(KLD)

Carl R · 03-29-2003, 01:10 PM

KLD wrote," Generally hernias do not need treatment unless they cause pain or trap (incarcerate) an organ such as the testicle or bowel."

What kind of test can be done to verify a hernia? I am still having all kinds of problems with blood pressure(averages 175/120), and it seems to be related to when my colon is full, when my scrotum is moved, or any part of my waist area is stretched out or has any pressure in the area. My doctors are at a loss so far. This has been going on for roughly two months now and I am having to use nitro paste before any transfers and niphedipine to be able to tolerate bowel program. Could this be a hernia? I have been tested for stones and kidney, and all blood work has been normal.

Liz321 · 03-29-2003, 03:38 PM

I have one. They (drs) think it's from my surgery I had to augment my bladder. Sometimes the "Alien" is there other times it's not.

SCI-Nurse · 03-29-2003, 07:26 PM

For Carl R: A hernia is an outpouching of bowel through muscle wall. You can usually see them as a soft bump on the belly for abdominal hernias. Men can also develop inguinal hernias. In these bowel starts to slip into the canal left by the testicles when they descended and can sometimes slip into the scrotal sack. A physician can easily evaluate you for the presence of a hernia. Ask your doctors the next time you see them.

RAB

Carl R · 03-30-2003, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SCI-Nurse:

For Carl R: A hernia is an outpouching of bowel through muscle wall. You can usually see them as a soft bump on the belly for abdominal hernias. Men can also develop inguinal hernias. In these bowel starts to slip into the canal left by the testicles when they descended and can sometimes slip into the scrotal sack. A physician can easily evaluate you for the presence of a hernia. Ask your doctors the next time you see them.

RAB

Not sure I understand then, exactly what is a hernia? Could it be the cause of my blood pressure problems going up whenever my colon is full? Any position changes in the waist area seems to cause the problem. Even though I don't have any sensation below my injury level, C3, I am having a fair amount of pain in my lower abdomen and lower back. I also have started noticing a couple of drops of blood around my SP catheter on the days after a bowel prograem. What else does the catheter pass by besides the rectal muscles or could they be the problem? Also, what is the most common treatment for hernia? This has been going on for roughly eight weeks and not getting better.

Floyd, sorry to hijack your thread.

SCI-Nurse · 03-31-2003, 06:54 AM

To Carl R: It's unlikely that your problems are due to a hernia. It's probably related to the backup in your colon. Chances are you have a whole lot of stool that isn't making it's way to the sewers very fast and that is causing your colon to stretch which in turn is causing your autonomic dysreflexia. The bladder and the colon pass through the same fairly narrow part of your pelvis so if you have a lot of stool in the colon, it's not surprising that that has an impact on your bladder.

Hernias can only be cured with surgery. But again, I think it's unlikely that you have one. You may need to explore surgical alternatives for your bowel care, but talk to your doctor. Incidentally, you really need to be dealing with a doctor who understands spinal cord injury to get the proper advice on this problem.

RAB

Carl R · 03-31-2003, 03:54 PM

My bowel programs have been good. No real problem with having good results most all of the time. I have been trying to get an appointment with my sci Dr. but that is easier said than done. The other thing which seems to trigger the blood pressure is also when I cough. We do assisted cough to remove secretions, but any cough seems to raise my blood pressure. Any other guesses on what could get irritated by just a cough?

03-26-2003, 07:00 PM	#1
floyd Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Zealand Posts: 220	hernia im a c5 quad and ive just developed a hernia, how common are these in people with sci? with having no stomach muscles i thought it would be quite common but have never heard it talked about? thanx

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

03-26-2003, 07:28 PM	#2
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,520	Where is your hernia? There are a variety of places these can occur. Most common in men is inguinal hernias which often are the result of heavy lifting, but can also be a result of aging or genetics. There is really nothing specific to SCI that would make you more likely to have a hernia. Other less common hernias are around or next to the belly button (umbilical hernia) or an incisional hernia where an old abdominal surgery incision has split at the muscle but not at the skin. Generally hernias do not need treatment unless they cause pain or trap (incarcerate) an organ such as the testicle or bowel. (KLD)

03-29-2003, 01:10 PM	#3
Carl R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Houston, Tx. USA Posts: 1,888	KLD wrote," Generally hernias do not need treatment unless they cause pain or trap (incarcerate) an organ such as the testicle or bowel." What kind of test can be done to verify a hernia? I am still having all kinds of problems with blood pressure(averages 175/120), and it seems to be related to when my colon is full, when my scrotum is moved, or any part of my waist area is stretched out or has any pressure in the area. My doctors are at a loss so far. This has been going on for roughly two months now and I am having to use nitro paste before any transfers and niphedipine to be able to tolerate bowel program. Could this be a hernia? I have been tested for stones and kidney, and all blood work has been normal.

03-29-2003, 03:38 PM	#4
Liz321 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NY Posts: 5,587	I have one. They (drs) think it's from my surgery I had to augment my bladder. Sometimes the "Alien" is there other times it's not.

03-29-2003, 07:26 PM	#5
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,520	For Carl R: A hernia is an outpouching of bowel through muscle wall. You can usually see them as a soft bump on the belly for abdominal hernias. Men can also develop inguinal hernias. In these bowel starts to slip into the canal left by the testicles when they descended and can sometimes slip into the scrotal sack. A physician can easily evaluate you for the presence of a hernia. Ask your doctors the next time you see them. RAB

03-31-2003, 06:54 AM	#7
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,520	To Carl R: It's unlikely that your problems are due to a hernia. It's probably related to the backup in your colon. Chances are you have a whole lot of stool that isn't making it's way to the sewers very fast and that is causing your colon to stretch which in turn is causing your autonomic dysreflexia. The bladder and the colon pass through the same fairly narrow part of your pelvis so if you have a lot of stool in the colon, it's not surprising that that has an impact on your bladder. Hernias can only be cured with surgery. But again, I think it's unlikely that you have one. You may need to explore surgical alternatives for your bowel care, but talk to your doctor. Incidentally, you really need to be dealing with a doctor who understands spinal cord injury to get the proper advice on this problem. RAB

03-31-2003, 03:54 PM	#8
Carl R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Houston, Tx. USA Posts: 1,888	My bowel programs have been good. No real problem with having good results most all of the time. I have been trying to get an appointment with my sci Dr. but that is easier said than done. The other thing which seems to trigger the blood pressure is also when I cough. We do assisted cough to remove secretions, but any cough seems to raise my blood pressure. Any other guesses on what could get irritated by just a cough?