Causes and methods of treatment of umbilical hernia after childbirth

An umbilical hernia after childbirth is a complication that the fair sex often encounters. Doctors believe that most often the pathology develops in women who have had a caesarean section or have had a large belly throughout their pregnancy.

What is this disease, how to deal with it, and how dangerous is it? What symptoms can be used to judge the onset of the disease, and what methods are used to treat it?

Why does pathology develop

Doctors identify several reasons, under the influence of which the formation of a postpartum umbilical hernia is possible.

Always come to the fore:

the presence of a genetic predisposition (most often means weakness of connective tissues, dysplasia, leading to the inability to perform specific functions fully);
structural features of the umbilical zone;
underdevelopment or weakness of the muscular skeleton of the abdominal wall.

In addition to the main factors, it is customary to single out additional ones that increase the risk of developing pathology, but do not directly lead to it in 100% of cases.

These risk factors include:

the presence in women of pronounced excess weight at the time of pregnancy;
repeated process of bearing a child after a short break;
the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which normally should not accumulate there (ascites);
frequent stagnation of feces in the intestines, which many women face in late pregnancy;
surgical interventions in the abdominal cavity in history.

The fetus, which is formed in the female uterus, in itself puts pressure on the muscular frame in this area, which often leads to the formation of hernial protrusions. First of all, the umbilical ring suffers, the tissues of which are excessively stretched.

With umbilical hernia after childbirth, a sharp development of clinical signs of the disease is rarely noted. More often, the disease goes through several stages. It all starts with the appearance of a periodic protrusion, which is visible only at the moment of tension, and ends with the formation of a persistent pathology, which can sometimes be eliminated only with the help of surgery.

Signs of illness

What are the symptoms of the disease that appear in the fair sex with an umbilical hernia? First of all, a woman always pays attention to the bulge above the navel or to the side of it. This bulge then appears, then completely disappears, not reminding anything of itself. Over time, as the disease progresses, the defect increases in size and ceases to disappear, becoming permanent. Its appearance no longer depends on whether the woman is under stress at the moment.

Other important signs of pathology are:

pain syndrome , aggravated in response to sudden movements, bouts of coughing or sneezing;
gastrointestinal disturbances;
bouts of nausea or vomiting , which have no pronounced connection with food intake;
feeling of discomfort in the abdomen.

A hernia after a caesarean section or a normal birth can be complicated by strangulation.

In this case, the patient will complain about:

the appearance of acute, sudden pain in the umbilical zone;
the appearance of signs of general intoxication (weakness, temperature, drowsiness, etc.);
hardening of the sac in which the hernia is located;
an increase in temperature at the location of the pathological bulge.

In pregnant women and women who have given birth, in case of pinching, emergency surgical treatment is carried out, since the pathology poses a threat to the life and health of a woman.

Ways to treat the disease

Methods of treating the disease depend on how severe its symptoms are, at what stage it is. If the disease was caught at an early stage of development, conservative methods are usually used. For the most part, doctors recommend wearing a bandage, exercise therapy.

Many of the fair sex are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to pump the press with this ailment? Yes, it is allowed to do this after childbirth against the background of an umbilical hernia, but only after all vaginal discharge has stopped.

If the deformation of the connective tissue is already very pronounced, and it is not possible to influence it with the help of conservative methods, surgical treatment is recommended.

Two main methods are used:

implantation , during which, with the help of a small incision, a thin mesh is installed that fixes the region of the spinal ring;
gerinoplasty , during which the oversized umbilical ring is sutured, its walls are strengthened to prevent further development of the disease.

If a woman had an operation for an umbilical hernia after childbirth, then you should not be afraid for her health. Complications are very rare, and recovery takes a little time. Treatment in the postoperative period includes the use of a special corset, which is selected for each patient individually.

As an additional therapy, you can use folk recipes.

The following options have proved to be effective:

applying crushed nettle leaves on a cabbage leaf to the area of damage;
the use of an infusion of aspen bark, which is insisted for an hour, and then they drink several teaspoons three times a day before meals;
applying a mixture of oak bark and its leaves with wine to the affected area for several hours.

An umbilical hernia after pregnancy is an unpleasant pathology that every woman can face. The main thing is to notice the disease that has begun to develop in a timely manner and seek help from specialists. If you start treating the disease on time and obey your doctor, the hernia will not pose any threat to life and health, and getting rid of it will pass without any hassle.