Ask The Doctor

Dear Ask The Doctor: I was in a car accident on December 7th. On December 17th (a week and a half later)I noticed a bulge in my lower stomach. It showed up out of no where. I had surgery to repair my hernia's. I ended up with one on each side. The other side much smaller. I am a 33 year old female. Hernia's are most common in older males. My car accident was pretty minor, however, there was impact and the hernia's are right where my seat belt lays. There was enough impact ( but barely any damage to my van), in which I went to urgent care with back and neck pain and a very bad headache. Is it possible that my car accident may have caused, or sent a developing hernia over the edge to cause it to blow out?

Dear Kristen: Hernias are a cause of weakened abdominal wall or pelvic wall muscles.  Genetics may make you prone to hernias and certain conditions can make susceptible individuals worse. These conditions include:

• Obesity
• Heavy lifting
• Excessive lifting
• Coughing
• Straining during a bowel movement or urination,
• Chronic lung disease
• Fluid in the abdominal cavity.
• Prior Abdominal Surgery
• Pregnancy and C-section's
• Injuries

Injuries from car accidents could play a role in making a developing hernia more visible.