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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: tom joad on December 30, 2013, 01:06:57 PM
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My wife told me today that my belly button looked strange, and it was the first time i've noticed it too ... doesn't look terrible, but yeah it's a hernia. No pain at all. Wouldn't have known about it without my wife's comment. How long can I just safely ignore the problem for? Can I just continue my workouts as usual or is there danger in making it worse? I'm in Colombia for another 3 months and don't really want to see a doctor until i'm back in Canada.
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I knew a guy who had one for over 11 years,but he didn`t workout.
He eventually had to have it fixed.
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maybe he wasnt a big believer in muscles.
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My wife told me today that my belly button looked strange, and it was the first time i've noticed it too ... doesn't look terrible, but yeah it's a hernia. No pain at all. Wouldn't have known at all without my wife's comment. How long can I just safely ignore the problem for? Can I just continue my workouts as usual or is there danger in making it worse? I'm in Colombia for another 3 months and don't really want to see a doctor until i'm back in Canada.
It's hard to say whether your hernia can be ignored or not. The fact that it is pain free is promising, but that's not to say that it shouldn't get treated.
Based on what you described, it sounds as if you have an umbilical hernia. If that's the case, what's going on is that you have a portion of your intestines protruding through a breach in your abdominal muscle wall.
If you don't have pain, purpura (discoloration of your periumbilical region due to possible bleeding underneath the skin) or gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and/or vomiting, that's a really good sign.
Your description suggests that the herniated tissue might not be completely incarcerated to the point where strangulation of that tissue occurs rendering the blood supply to that portion of the tissue, which would then lead to a condition called gangrene or tissue death.
Most likely, you have a herniated tissue that is partially incarcerated, but that still allows for intestinal contents to continue their path of motility through your GI tract.
The picture below shows how this would look. Notice how the intestines are not completely strangulated by the abdominal wall muscle:
(http://healthtopics.hcf.com.au/images/hcf/gifs/hernia-01.gif)
The worry is that it will become like this (strangulated), whereby nothing gets through that bowel loop:
(http://www.yoursurgery.com/procedures/pedhernia/images/UmbHerniaLateral.jpg)
The easiest way to diagnose this is by way of an abdominal ultrasound or an X-ray. Surgery is typically performed (very quick surgery with good results), whereby a mesh is placed below the area of the weakened abdominal wall, thereby preventing a repeat occurrence.
In the meantime, if you are terribly against going to your local ER for a few hours, you could wear what's known as a hernia belt. It is used in order to achieve a moderate level of relief from the typical discomfort that an umbilical hernia presents with, but it is not a solution. Consider getting this if you have a nearby surgical supply store:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41l-TqWS1iL.jpg)
Some folks suggest that a wide weight-belt works in similar fashion, but I have not had an umbilical hernia, so I can't comment on whether or not that is accurate.
My advice is to just go to your local ER and have them scan your abdomen in order to rule out that it is not anything truly serious (Triple-A comes to mind, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm - which can be deadly).
Good luck and keep us updated,
"1"
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In the midst of the Shizzo morass, you can still find actual good, bodybuilding-related advice on GB. A fucking Christmas miracle.
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GO TO A DOCTOR MORON
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Thanks for the info, One. I do have a little discoloration there, but no pain at all.
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(http://www.justsaypictures.com/images/bobby-weirdo-19vr.jpg)
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I had a double inguinal hernia. Hernia can become strangulated and you can die. They can be ignored as long as there is no change of it getting strangulated.
Strangulation. An incarcerated hernia may cut off blood flow to part of your intestine. This condition is called strangulation, and it can lead to the death of the affected bowel tissue. A strangulated hernia is life-threatening and requires immediate surgery.
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So many people who lift weights have hernias and don't even know it. If there is no pain, DO NOT go to a doctor in Colombia. Stay away from any hospital/doctor in 3rd world type countries and only go if you are on death doors.
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OMR dropping knowledge.
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groink has one
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So many people who lift weights have hernias and don't even know it. If there is no pain, DO NOT go to a doctor in Colombia. Stay away from any hospital/doctor in 3rd world type countries and only go if you are on death doors.
Yeah, I don't even know how long I've been walking around with this hernia. I've just continued going about my training in the gym without ever noticing that my belly button has a small "bump" in it because I've never felt any pain there. I will be going to see a Colombian doctor tomorrow tho, because while I was at the gym today, my wife made an appointment for me. Can't hurt getting a professional to look at it and get his opinion. My wife and her family are well-to-do Colombians who live in the ritziest neighbourhood in Medellin and so she won't be taking me to a 3rd world hospital.
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i think my brother has had one in his nutsack for years.
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Update: My wife took me to a private clinic in Medellin today for my appointment with a surgeon who has performed many hernia operations. (He spoke fluent English which was nice since my Spanish sucks.) Yes, I have a small umbilical hernia and he is 100% certain that there's no strangulation. Nevertheless, I do need surgery. He can perform the surgery easily but he said that I can also wait a few months until I'm back in Canada - no problem - and get the surgery done there. The hernia will get bigger over time and start to hurt but (in my case) a few short months won't make a noticeable difference. He said that, in the meantime, I can continue working out at the gym. I'm going to refrain from doing squats and direct abdominal exercises (like crunches etc.) And just to be extra safe, eventhough I love free weights, I'm going to substitute them for more seated machine movements where possible.
Thanks again to OneMoreRep for his awesome post that prepped me for my appointment today.
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Update: My wife took me to a private clinic in Medellin today for my appointment with a surgeon who has performed many hernia operations. (He spoke fluent English which was nice since my Spanish sucks.) Yes, I have a small umbilical hernia and he is 100% certain that there's no strangulation. Nevertheless, I do need surgery. He can perform the surgery easily but he said that I can also wait a few months until I'm back in Canada - no problem -and get the surgery done there. The hernia will get bigger over time and start to hurt but (in my case) a few short months won't make a noticeable difference. He said that, in the meantime, I can continue working out at the gym as usual. I'm going to refrain from doing squats and direct abdominal exercises (like crunches etc.) And just to be extra safe, eventhough I love free weights, I'm going to substitute them for more seated machine movements where possible.
Thanks again to OneMore Rep for his awesome post that prep me for my appointment today.
OMFG wait until you get back to Canada! Don't let some third world butcher who has the equivalent of a high school education in a civilized country cut you open. Do you ever wonder why 3rd world "doctors" are required to basically do all of medical school over again before they can practice medicine?
I had an umbilical hernia just like you. Had it for a while and it got bigger over time becasue the defect opens up more especially if you lift. If it gets strangulated, you will know for sure because you will have intense stabbing pain. I got mine surgically fixed with the mesh and it is fine now. The post op pain sucked pretty intense stabbing pain. They make an incision right under your belly button and go in. Get it fixed becasue it wsilll just get bigger the longer you let it go.
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It's hard to say whether your hernia can be ignored or not. The fact that it is pain free is promising, but that's not to say that it shouldn't get treated.
Based on what you described, it sounds as if you have an umbilical hernia. If that's the case, what's going on is that you have a portion of your intestines protruding through a breach in your abdominal muscle wall.
If you don't have pain, purpura (discoloration of your periumbilical region due to possible bleeding underneath the skin) or gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and/or vomiting, that's a really good sign.
Your description suggests that the herniated tissue might not be completely incarcerated to the point where strangulation of that tissue occurs rendering the blood supply to that portion of the tissue, which would then lead to a condition called gangrene or tissue death.
Most likely, you have a herniated tissue that is partially incarcerated, but that still allows for intestinal contents to continue their path of motility through your GI tract.
The picture below shows how this would look. Notice how the intestines are not completely strangulated by the abdominal wall muscle:
(http://healthtopics.hcf.com.au/images/hcf/gifs/hernia-01.gif)
The worry is that it will become like this (strangulated), whereby nothing gets through that bowel loop:
(http://www.yoursurgery.com/procedures/pedhernia/images/UmbHerniaLateral.jpg)
The easiest way to diagnose this is by way of an abdominal ultrasound or an X-ray. Surgery is typically performed (very quick surgery with good results), whereby a mesh is placed below the area of the weakened abdominal wall, thereby preventing a repeat occurrence.
In the meantime, if you are terribly against going to your local ER for a few hours, you could wear what's known as a hernia belt. It is used in order to achieve a moderate level of relief from the typical discomfort that an umbilical hernia presents with, but it is not a solution. Consider getting this if you have a nearby surgical supply store:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41l-TqWS1iL.jpg)
Some folks suggest that a wide weight-belt works in similar fashion, but I have not had an umbilical hernia, so I can't comment on whether or not that is accurate.
My advice is to just go to your local ER and have them scan your abdomen in order to rule out that it is not anything truly serious (Triple-A comes to mind, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm - which can be deadly).
Good luck and keep us updated,
"1"
Excellent post.