Are Home Remedies Against Hernias Effective?
You’ve probably wondered if home remedies are effective against hernias. We’d like to answer this question but first, let’s review what they are, their causes, and their symptoms.
As we know, these protrusions of organ or tissue can cause severe pain. Thus, they can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Some like muscle atrophy affect movement but can also lead to urinary incontinence, loss of mobility, and paralysis.
What’s a hernia?
A hernia is an abnormal bulge in the tissue often caused by some kind of weakness. They’re common in the abdominal wall but can pop up in other areas.
The risk of hernia increases with age and is more common in men than in women. Although we don’t know the real cause of hernias yet, the weakening of the supporting tissues could be one of the important factors.
In addition, risk factors such as extreme and sudden pressure on the stomach muscles or changes that occur due to aging, as mentioned above.
Furthermore, heavy lifting, obesity, or incorrect posture may also be important in the development of hernias.
As for the types of hernia, these are classified according to their location:
- Femoral and inguinal: in the groin
- Hiatal: in the upper part of the stomach
- Umbilical: in the navel
- Discal: in the lumbar region
- Surgical or incisional
What are the symptoms?
The typical symptom of a hernia is a bulge in the affected area. In some cases, patients may notice it disappears when lying down. Conversely, it’s more noticeable when standing, bending over, or coughing.
Other symptoms include:
- Discomfort or pain in the area around the hernia
- Heartburn
- Trouble swallowing
- Chest pain
Note that some hernias may be asymptomatic. Furthermore, people often find out about them during a routine examination or due to an unrelated problem.
Treatments for hernias
Because it can be a serious injury, any sign of hernias requires medical treatment. A professional can diagnose and determine the type of injury and suggest treatment.
According to information published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, surgery is usually the most effective treatment for a hernia. However, the physician must determine whether or not you require this type of procedure.
Moreover, they may also suggest that you improve your diet and increase your fiber intake to prevent constipation. Increased straining during bowel movements can worsen a hernia. The medical professional will probably also advise maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.
Best home remedies against hernias
There are some good home remedies but these won’t treat or cure a hernia, only help you deal with the pain or inflammation.
Some of them are:
- Clay. According to in vitro studies, fibrous clays have been shown to have anti-inflammatory action against human cancer cell lines. Although its application for hernias is still unknown.
- Apple cider vinegar. This is another home remedy that’s proven effective for activating circulation and reducing inflammation, according to research.
Are home remedies effective against hernias?
Although on the internet you can read about many preparations of natural origin that claim to treat hernias, you can only treat them by consulting a health professional.
At most, you can try the remedies above to relieve the symptoms of this problem as long as the doctor authorizes i. Again, there’s no scientific evidence on their effectiveness.
Furthermore, always be clear in that no home remedies for hernias are a first-line treatment. In fact, they won’t effectively cure them.
And while it’s true that some natural products are good adjuvants against various conditions, this is not the case when it comes to herniated discs or other hernias. The best thing to do is to follow your doctor’s recommendations. Strictly follow their prescribed treatments.
Hernias require medical treatment
As mentioned above, surgery may be necessary depending on the type of hernia. At least according to a study published in 2016. Still, a person may not require it if their hernias are small. Your physician should be able to determine it.
Furthermore, it pays to be careful regarding the use of home remedies to treat hernias, as some aren’t effective and cannot cure this problem.
In any case, consult your doctor about the therapeutic alternatives and maintain good habits, especially in regard to your diet.
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All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Berger D. Evidence-Based Hernia Treatment in Adults. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(9):150–158. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0150
- Muysoms, F. E., Miserez, M., Berrevoet, F., Campanelli, G., Champault, G. G., Chelala, E., … Kingsnorth, A. (2009). Classification of primary and incisional abdominal wall hernias. Hernia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-009-0518-x
- Cervini-Silva J, Nieto-Camacho A, Ramírez-Apan MT, Gómez-Vidales V, Palacios E, Montoya A, Ronquillo de Jesús E. Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and cytotoxic activity of fibrous clays. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2015; 129: 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.03.019.
- Beh BK, Mohamad NE, Yeap SK, Ky H, Boo SY, Chua JYH, Tan SW, Ho WY, Sharifuddin SA, Long K, Alitheen NB. Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar on high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1): 6664. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06235-7.
- Redondo D. ¿Qué es una hernia? ¿Cuáles son los síntomas de una hernia? [Internet]. Medical News Today. 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290715.php
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