Hi there, just a query please if anyone has the time 😊
Does anyone know if having hydrocele as a baby can increase the risk of getting a hernia later on??
(Son was born 3 mnths prem and had hydrocele, is 7 yrs old now and has had chronic (and awful) GERD symptoms and middle tummy pain for a few months)
We’ve been back and forth to GPs and paediatricians but it was only this last visit that made me think ‘possible hernia’. The GP asked if my sons navel was normally that ‘sticky outy’ I replied ‘yes, it’s been like that since birth’ and then my son said it hurt when GP pressed near the navel area.
The GP didn’t actually do anything other than prescribe Lansoprazole again, as they knew a paediatric appointment was coming up in early Feb, BUT now obviously I’m wondering if a hiatus hernia may be possible…..thank you in advance people! 😊
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CandiR
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Hi there,Sorry to understand struggle with your son's health.
Perhaps you are mixing types of hernias in your son's case. Have you checked his scrotum for swelling, inflammation, sensitive to touch when he has middle tummy pain?
Meaning can you relate the middle tummy pain to his scrotum or is that pain related to his heartburn per say that will be in the chest diaphragm region.
If he has swollen scrotum with intestinal pain, in worst cases cause by inguinal hernia then it's an medical emergency. Keep an eye in his symptoms as a seven year old may not be able to identify correct locations for the keywords expected
Hydrocele should jot be a cause to have hiatus hernia in oesophagus as a direct effect. However premature birth may, only may be a cause in the development or lack of fully functional lower osophageal sphincter LES which causes GERD as one of the root causes anatomically.
Because in my view lifestyle causes such as alcohol smoke actively may not be issue but possibly for excess passive inhalation of smoke.
I am jot a qualified medicine specialist so please use your ow discretion and seek appropriate qualified medical help in your local area.
Perhaps stomach bug etc could be cause of middle tummy pain. Using lansoprezole is not going to help in that. And to be honest I am surprised to see 7 year old getting PPI medicine, such an early developmental age and meddling with his GI acid production is not wise jn long term development for the child. But then please speak to paediatric specialist.
Always remember any PPI such as lansoprezol3 is short term assistance to soothe the symptoms or symptoms management and not root cause fix.
He needs accurate and precise diagnosis for his issues to be fixed not management medicines. For view.
Thank you so much for your reply Mauser 😊….really is appreciated! Very helpful and informative reply…Re the hydrocele, yes I did realise that a hydrocele and a possible hernia are too separate issues, the hydrocele was ‘fixed’ when he was a few weeks old, I just wondered if that could cause problems later on, ie other hernias, so thank you very much for clarifying that!
I find this part *However premature birth may, only may be a cause in the development or lack of fully functional lower osophageal sphincter LES which causes GERD as one of the root causes anatomically* really interesting, thank you, every medical problem he has stems from his very early birth,.
I agree completely about your opinion on PPI at such a young age, it’s just a ‘sticking plaster’ not dealing with the root cause, I’m so tired of not being listened too and fobbed off, so I’ve put him on a good probiotic instead of the Lanzoprazole because I worry it’s too much for him!
I contracted C. Difficle at 6 mnths pregnant which lead to sepis which inevitably lead to my son being born very early, I was pumped full of antibiotics while pregnant and in labour I’m convinced this has effected my sons gut, he has multiple food allergies and now severe GERD symptoms and this ‘mysterious’ pain around navel area (the pain moves slightly every now and then)
I’m going to have to be more assertive at this next paediatrician appointment and insist he’s referred to a gastroenterologist aren’t I! Thank you again 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Sometimes while at it our brains tend to become conditioned for complex answers whereas the simple solutions could be possible.
The case is 7 years old, anatomical functions are still developing etc. Offcourse the case history itself is complex. However the body is such a great thing that it wil try heal itself as much as possible. and given the age factor in the child's favour as against a 43 year old, there will be more opportunities and chances he may outgrow the symptoms completely or to a greater extent.
What we lack is a symptomologist in the UK NHS (when compared against USA healthcare). In my unqualified view this is where the UK primary care and secondary care lack direction into resolving complex issues, for examples yours or others which dont fit into an black and white textbook case protocol.
I'm not sure what a hydro cele is but, I was told that as a baby I had an umbilical hernia which righted itself. It went again with birth of 1st child then got right again. Went again and was surgically repaired when in my 50s
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