hernia

/ˈhʌrniə/

/ˈhʌniə/

Other forms: hernias; herniae

A hernia is a rip in your muscle tissue that leads to an organ protruding through the muscle. It's painful and dangerous.

Your organs all have a place in your body. However, sometimes an injury causes a rip in your soft muscle tissue, pushing an organ out of its home. This injury is a hernia, which often involves the abdomen bursting through the surrounding tissue. Sometimes people get a hernia after trying to lift something too heavy. A hernia can also involve a spinal disc that gets pushed out of place. Any type of hernia is a very serious medical condition.

Definitions of hernia

1. noun

   rupture in smooth muscle tissue through which a bodily structure protrudes
   synonyms: herniation

   types:

   colpocele, vaginocele

   hernia projecting into the vagina

   diverticulum

   a herniation through the muscular wall of a tubular organ (especially the colon)

   eventration

   protrusion of the intestine through the abdominal wall

   exomphalos

   an umbilical hernia at birth in which some abdominal organs push into the umbilical cord

   diaphragmatic hernia, hiatal hernia, hiatus hernia

   hernia resulting from the protrusion of part of the stomach through the diaphragm

   inguinal hernia

   hernia in which a loop of intestine enters the inguinal canal; the most common type of hernia in males

   keratocele

   hernia of the cornea

   laparocele

   hernia through the abdomen

   omphalocele, umbilical hernia

   protrusion of the intestine and omentum through a hernia in the abdominal wall near the navel; usually self correcting after birth

   Meckel's diverticulum

   a congenital diverticulum in the ileum resulting from incomplete closure of the yolk sac

   colpocystocele, cystocele

   hernia in which the urinary bladder protrudes through the wall of the vagina; sometimes occurs after childbirth

   proctocele, rectocele

   protrusion or herniation of the rectum into the vagina; can occur if pelvic muscles are weakened by childbirth

   type of:

   rupture

   the state of being torn or burst open