A hernia occurs when an organ or tissue inside your body pushes out through a weak spot in the muscles of your stomach. This makes a bulge. The bulge may be:
- In a scar from surgery; this is called an incisional hernia
- Near your belly button; this is called an umbilical hernia
- In your groin; this is called an inguinal hernia
- In your upper thigh; this is called a femoral hernia
- Inside your belly; this is called a hiatal hernia and occurs when your stomach slides above your diaphragm
Although hernias are not medical emergencies, they can be painful and often get worse with time. That’s why it’s best to get them repaired in a timely fashion. Not all hernias cause symptoms.
However, if you have a hernia you may:
- Notice a bump or bulge
- Feel pressure
- Get a dull ache when the hernia comes out; this may occur when you’re straining, lifting, laughing or coughing
Cholecystitis is the irritation and swelling of the gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ located under your liver on the right side of your body. Your gallbladder stores bile, a substance that helps your body digest fat.
Symptoms of cholecystitis can present suddenly and need to be treated. Gallstones — which form when the bile in your gallbladder hardens into a stone-like material — can cause cholecystitis.
This is because gallstones can block the duct that carries bile out of your gallbladder.
You may also suffer from cholecystitis if you have:
- Damage to your gallbladder due to reduced blood flow
- Germs or scars in your bile ducts
- Abnormal growths in the liver, pancreas or gallbladder
You may be at an increased risk of cholecystitis if you:
- Are a woman ages 55 to 62
- Take birth control pills
- Use estrogen
- Are overweight
- Have a bad reaction to an infection
- Have been hospitalized due to a serious condition
- Have not eaten or drank for a long time
If you have cholecystitis, you may:
- Experience pain in the right part of your abdomen
- Have a lump over your gallbladder
- Feel bloated
- Experience nausea or vomiting
- Have a fever or chills
The appendix is a tube in the body that is shaped like a finger. It’s attached to the large intestine. When this tube becomes swollen, you have appendicitis. If not treated, the tube can tear, leading to a life-threatening infection.
Several things can cause appendicitis, for instance, something blocking the appendix. This could be a stool, lymph glands that are bigger than normal or an injury to your abdomen. Sometimes the cause is not known.
You are more likely to get this condition if you are 10 to 30 years old.
If you have appendicitis, you may experience:
- Pain or tenderness that starts around your belly button
- Vomiting or nausea
- A loss of appetite
- A fever
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
