Hernia
A hernia occurs when an internal organ or fatty tissue protrudes through a muscle or connective tissue. There are actually a lot of different types of hernias, and they can be external (which you can see as a protruding bulge) or internal (meaning they happen within the abdominal cavity), says Jacob Skeans, MD, a gastroenterologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
The most common hernias in the abdomen are umbilical hernias (which happen around the belly button) and hiatal hernias (where the stomach pushes in the chest cavity through your diaphragm, Dr. Skeans says. “They are created when repetitive strains (coughing, obesity, pregnancy, straining during constipation) pushes at a weak point of muscle or fascial tissue,” he says.
