We all know what Hernias are. That awful pain and weakness occur when an internal part of your body pushes through the muscle wall holding them. If a Hernia is small enough, it might not need surgery right away, but most hernias will.
The real concern is how to ensure that your hernia surgery is free of complications or the need for other operations. The truth of the matter though is that for the majority of hernia cases, weight loss and nutrition are one of the most crucial factors in determining how successful your post-operation recovery will be.
The reason for this is threefold. First obesity raises the risk of getting hernias in the first place. Extra body weight puts more strain and pressure on the abdominal wall causing them to weaken over time. This can then lead to hernias or hernias that have already developed to increase in size and severity.
Obesity and excess body fat can also cause hernias to develop serious hernia conditions. Obese patients have a higher chance of having their hernias develop small bowel obstructions, or having their internal organs strangulating as they leak through the abdominal wall causing a chance of necrosis.
Obese patients also have a higher risk of infection, and may not heal as quickly from their procedure. Obesity is also associated with hernia recurrence and the most severe risk, a pulmonary embolism, a severe complication where blood clots in the leg form causing heart attacks, strokes, and other serious illnesses.
The good news is that almost all of these risks can be mitigated with a consistent and gradual weight loss plan. Weight loss has proven time and time again to improve surgery recovery time, and lessen the chance of reoccurrence or complications.
Some quick tips:
- Stay hydrated with zero-calorie sweeteners – love soda but can’t handle the sugar, plenty of sweeteners have been developed that are tasty and natural and can be a great replacement for sugary juices and sodas that won’t hydrate you anyway
- Start slowly by walking and talking – hate long cardio? Call a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with or an important colleague you need to run things by with, you’ll be shocked how quickly the time and the miles will pass
- Find rewarding meals instead of cutting stuff out – focusing on getting more positives (more fiber, more protein) in your diet has proven time and time again to be easier to stick to that focusing on removing negative (less sugar, less fat) and can make your diet plans fun and exciting instead of stale and punishing
