SATURDAY, March 14, 2026 (NewsDay News) – If you’re overweight, smoke or have a cough or sneeze that won’t go away, you may be at higher risk for a condition that many people don’t think about: hernia.
Your risk is even higher if you’ve ever had abdominal surgery or have a medical condition that causes fluid retention, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Having can affect daily activities and how much you can do in a day.” Dr. John Fishersaid a surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania NIH Health News.
“It can affect sleep,” he continued. “It can affect your mental well-being, your feelings about your appearance and your ability to socialize.”
While older children are at higher risk, anyone can have a hernia – and in rare cases, they can be a medical emergency.
Simply put, a hernia occurs when the muscles and other tissues are too weak to support the internal organs. This allows a piece of organ or tissue to slip through the gap.
Usually, patients first notice a lump. But sometimes, the first sign of a problem can be discomfort or strange sensations on the site.
While most hernias develop in the abdomen, they can sometimes occur in the groin or upper thigh. News in the field of health. Those located in the abdomen are called inguinal hernias.
A doctor can usually make a diagnosis with a physical exam, but sometimes they may order an ultrasound or other imaging. If the hernia isn’t causing problems, they can monitor it instead of having surgery.
Surgery is the only permanent way to fix it. And even after surgical repair, the same limb can slip out of place again.
Interestingly, other surgeries may increase the risk of developing a new hernia. This is because cutting the structures that anchor the organs can weaken that tissue, allowing the organs to push through the damage.
Patients who smoke or have diabeteswhich can slow postoperative healing, carries a greater risk of these so-called incisional hernias.
Fisher is working on an NIH-funded research project studying ways to prevent incisional hernias.
He and his colleagues aim to create a mobile app to assess a patient’s risk for this surgical complication.
“It’s important to understand what activities you can do after surgery,” Fisher said.
Although hernias are not usually life-threatening, those that become “strangulated” are a medical emergency.
These hernias, which occur when blood supply to the part of the organ that is causing the hernia is interrupted, can cause nausea, severe pain, or vomiting.
More information
Learn more about hernias here Cleveland Clinic.
SOURCE: NIH Health Newsnews release, March 2026
What does this mean for you?
Understanding the cause of a hernia can help you recognize the signs that you have developed it.
