Dr. Nora Meenaghan of The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mercy Discusses Hernias and Their Treatment

Chances are you know someone who has had a hernia, or perhaps you've had one yourself. If so, you know how uncomfortable it can be, but did you know there are various kinds of hernias and different kinds of people are at risk?

Shortly after Allante Adams starting working out with heavy weights she began having discomfort. She had two hernias, but didn't know it.
"My primary care was treating me for ovarian cysts just because of the area of the hernia. After two years, I'm like something is going on. It's just like this heavy pulling. I just felt uncomfortable," Adams said.

Her doctor realized she was suffering from hernias and sent her to see Dr. Nora Meenaghan at The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mercy Medical Center. According to Dr. Meenaghan, a hernia is basically a hole in a layer of the abdominal wall.

"Things can kind of push out of there. Typically, that's fat because we all have a layer of fat between our intestines and our abdominal wall, and as they get bigger, other things can get stuck in there like intestines, and that's when we get more concerned," Dr. Meenaghan said.

There are several types of hernias. The most common is inguinal, the kind Adams had, but it's actually more common in men. An incisional hernia happens at the site of a previous abdominal surgery. A femoral hernia happens when the intestine enters the canal carrying the femoral artery into the upper thigh, which is more common in women.

An umbilical hernia is when the small intestine passes through the abdominal wall near the navel, which is common in newborns, and a hiatal hernia is when the upper stomach squeezes through an opening in the diaphragm.

Hernias can be corrected with surgery. Dr. Meenaghan scheduled Adams right away, and the procedure went well. Adams is back to her regular activity, discomfort-free.

"I feel great. I can definitely tell the difference. I'm back to working out. What used to be uncomfortable or bother me and I would have a little bit of discomfort is no longer there. I feel awesome," Adams said.

To view Dr. Nora Meenaghan’s interview about hernias, click here.