Failure to address a hernia can lead to a cascade of increasingly severe complications. Initially, the discomfort may be manageable, presenting as a dull ache or a more pronounced pain during physical exertion. However, the longer the condition persists without intervention, the greater the risk of the hernia enlarging and causing more significant pain and functional limitations.
The primary dangers of neglecting a hernia stem from the potential for incarceration and strangulation. Incarceration occurs when the protruding tissue becomes trapped within the abdominal wall, unable to be reduced manually. This can lead to bowel obstruction, causing severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to pass gas or stool. Strangulation, a far more critical development, arises when the blood supply to the incarcerated tissue is cut off. This deprives the tissue of oxygen and nutrients, leading to tissue death (necrosis) and potentially life-threatening infection (peritonitis).