Umbilical hernia

An umbilical hernia occurs when part of your peritoneum protrudes through an opening in the abdominal muscles at the navel. The condition is particularly common in young children, but adults can also develop it. In both cases, an umbilical hernia is often completely harmless. Read more about how to recognise the symptoms of an umbilical hernia and what you can do.

What is an umbilical hernia?

Do you have pain around your navel? Perhaps even abdominal pain? This may be a symptom of an umbilical hernia. The cause is that the peritoneum and possibly part of the intestine push through a weak spot in the abdominal wall.

An umbilical hernia is a condition in which part of your peritoneum and some of the abdominal contents lie under the skin instead of under the muscles. If you develop an umbilical hernia, you can often see it as a bulge at the navel when you stand upright, cough or push your abdomen out. It is often completely harmless and normally does not hurt, but you can also experience severe pain.

In some cases, an umbilical hernia can develop into an incarcerated hernia. This means that part of your intestine or some fatty tissue is trapped because the hernia is either positioned unfavourably or has become twisted. This impairs the blood supply to the intestine, causing sudden and severe pain. If you experience this, you must seek emergency treatment.

At CPH Privathospital, hernia operations are performed to the highest standard and with the latest equipment. Read more about how we can help you.

Why can you develop an umbilical hernia?

Normally, your abdominal muscles help keep the peritoneum and other organs in place. But if the muscles or connective tissue are weak, you risk the peritoneum and some of the abdominal contents squeezing out through the muscles – resulting in a hernia. The same can happen if the pressure in the abdominal cavity becomes too high due to, for example, very heavy lifting.

Hernias can be congenital and are particularly common in children, but you can also develop one as an adult. Umbilical hernias in adults are often caused by overweight, constipation or pregnancy, but they can also occur without an obvious cause.

Hernias in children are typically 2–3 cm in diameter. In adults, they can be more than twice that size.

What does an abdominal hernia feel like?

Normally, a small hernia causes few or no symptoms, whereas a larger hernia may cause discomfort and pain – especially when coughing or if you do heavy physical work. For example, you may experience tenderness around the navel, the hernia may sting and cause discomfort, and an umbilical hernia may also cause cosmetic concerns.

If the hernia is incarcerated, the abdomen around the navel is often hard and tender. Here you may experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Umbilical hernias in babies may be especially noticeable when crying, when the navel bulges out. If the abdomen around the navel begins to hurt more, becomes red or hard, you should seek medical attention immediately. 

A red or hard navel may indicate that a bowel is trapped. This causes a blockage in the bowel – also known as bowel obstruction. This is a rare but serious condition that requires emergency operation. The same applies if you become nauseous and vomit. Very rarely, you may also become very rapidly unwell, sweaty and dizzy.

How is the diagnosis of hernia made?

If a bulge appears around the navel, the diagnosis is usually easy to make. Here our consultant will press on the area and often also be able to push the hernia back into place. This is the most common way doctors make the diagnosis.  

However, it may be difficult to feel the hernia if, for example, you are very overweight. Here a CT scan may be helpful.

Fortunately, umbilical hernias are almost always a harmless condition. It is only dangerous if you get a red navel, have a hard hernia or experience severe pain at the navel and are not treated urgently.

When should an umbilical hernia be treated?

Usually your doctor can push a smaller hernia back into place. If the bulge is soft and not tender, there is no urgency to have an operation. However, you should discuss with your doctor whether it may become necessary. In adults, an umbilical hernia will never disappear on its own – but may actually grow. If the hernia becomes hard, very tender and cannot be pushed back into the abdomen, you should have an operation. 

In children under three years of age, umbilical hernias usually disappear on their own without treatment. They do not necessarily need to be operated on. The opening often closes by itself within the first years of life. If this is not the case after approximately three years of age, you should consider an operation.

At CPH Privathospital we only operate on children over 10 years of age. Here you will speak with our consultant before the operation. This way you can feel as reassured as possible and get answers to any questions. Afterwards you will be under general anaesthesia while the operation is in progress. Read more about how umbilical hernia operation is performed at our hospital.

What can you do to avoid an umbilical hernia?

Unfortunately, you cannot ensure that your child will not get an umbilical hernia. Fortunately, there are measures you can use if you as an adult want to avoid a hernia. The most important thing is to be careful with heavy lifting – both before and after a possible operation.

If you have already developed a hernia, it is important that you monitor whether the hernia can fall back into place on its own or with gentle pressure, and whether it suddenly becomes painful.

You are always welcome to contact us at CPH Privathospital. Here our experienced doctors and nurses will help you answer any questions.