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If you notice a bulge under the skin in your belly area or groin and are experiencing pain and discomfort, you may have a hernia, a common health condition that can affect men, women and children. In the United States, more than five million people develop hernias every year, per the National Center for Health Statistics, yet only about 15% of them seek medical treatment.

A hernia usually happens in your abdomen or groin, when one of your organs pushes through the muscle or tissue that contains it. “Anyone can get a hernia at any age. They’re caused by a combination of pressure and an opening or weakness in the muscle. The pressure pushes an organ or tissue through the weak spot,” says Bob Saggi, MD, FACS, general surgeon, South Texas Health System Clinics. “Sometimes the muscle weakness is present at birth. But in most cases, it develops later in life, with common sources of belly pressure including improper lifting, constipation, persistent coughing and pregnancy.”   

Left untreated, a hernia can cause more serious complications that can be potentially fatal, including a bowel obstruction, sepsis and severe intestinal inflammation. Surgery may be required to correct the condition.

Broadcast live on Sunday, June 30 at 11:00 a.m. on KVEO-TV NBC 23, the program featured an interview with a general surgeon with STHS Clinics, who will highlight the common causes, risk factors and early warning signs of hernias, as well as discuss how they are diagnosed and treated.

Additionally, STHS System Director of Marketing and Public Relations and South Texas Healthy Living host Tom Castañeda sat down with a 36-year-old McAllen woman who underwent surgery to repair a hiatal hernia earlier this year. Along with discussing the events leading up to her diagnosis, including the symptoms she misinterpreted as appendicitis, she shares her advice on prioritizing one’s health.

The program also featured a cooking segment led by Patrick Woodin, South Texas Health System McAllen’s director of dietary and nutrition services, on foods to avoid if you are living with a hernia, as well as a demonstration of appropriate exercises you can do to prevent hernia strain with a member of the STHS Edinburg Acute Rehabilitation Unit.

“While hernias can’t always be prevented, there are steps everyone can take to reduce their risk,” says Castañeda. “From maintaining a healthy weight to avoid the increased pressure that excess weight places on the abdominal wall to exercising regularly to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the abdomen and groin areas, it’s important to take preventative measures to protect one’s body. So, in the latest episode of ‘South Texas Healthy Living,’ we don’t just spotlight the types of hernias and the complications they may cause if left untreated. We’ll also share strategies to help prevent a hernia from developing, worsening or returning, including foods you should eat and those you avoid, as well as some great exercises you can do in the comfort of your home to get healthy and stay healthy!”