Some diseases are asymptomatic in a person, thereby presenting a great danger. Intercostal hernia can be attributed to one of such ailments. What it is? Symptoms by which you can determine the disease, the causes of its occurrence, as well as treatment methods are presented in the article.
Definition
In some cases, the doctor diagnoses the patient with an intercostal hernia. What it is? This is the protrusion of the part of the respiratory organ between the bones of the chest. Another name for this phenomenon is pulmonary hernia.
Often the place of its localization is the upper part of the chest. However, cases of protrusion of the lung into the neck or diaphragm are recorded. Outwardly, the pathological condition resembles a small and soft to the touch rounded tumor, which is located between the ribs.
Causes of occurrence
A protrusion of the pulmonary parenchyma occurs due to a sharp increase in lung pressure on the muscles of the chest, which is why the latter do not withstand. As a result, a hernial sac is formed. This phenomenon can occur for the following reasons:
- Surgical interventions in the chest area.
- Open or closed rib injuries.
- Tuberculosis, both open and closed.
- Emphysema is a pathological expansion of bronchioles.
- Benign or malignant neoplasms of the lungs.
- Empyema of the lung or pleura is an accumulation of purulent discharge in an organ or pleural cavity.
- Cachexia is an extreme degree of depletion of the body, which is observed in some diseases.
Also, a hernia of the lung can occur for such indirect reasons:
- Smoking for a long period of time.
- Playing wind musical instruments.
- Work related to glass blasting.
Due to chest injuries, the lung may occupy the vacant space or protrude into the resulting openings.
Symptoms
How to determine the intercostal hernia? A feature of the pathological condition is the fact that in most cases it does not cause discomfort to a person and does not have specific manifestations. Symptoms of intercostal hernia can occur only when performing any physical exercise, coughing, lifting weights, bending to the sides. This occurs because at this time the pressure from the lung increases. In such situations, a person may experience some discomfort while breathing.
Painful sensations appear only in the late stages of development. Therefore, most often the reason for contacting doctors is not specific symptoms, but an external manifestation of a hernia, which looks like a swelling or small formation in the region of the ribs.
Diagnostics
To determine the intercostal hernia, a consultation of several specialists is required. You should first visit a therapist. This doctor conducts a visual examination, palpation and directs to narrow specialists. The surgeon must also give an opinion and prescribe specific tests that are used to diagnose such pathologies. Such studies are often prescribed:
- Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. This method gives complete information about the location of the neoplasm, its structure and size. Unfortunately, this procedure has a fairly high cost, so some categories of patients can not afford it.
- If the previous study cannot be carried out for any reason, an x-ray examination is prescribed. It also provides accurate information about the condition of the lungs.
- Ultrasound diagnosis is used to exclude the possibility of a benign or malignant neoplasm.
Since the intercostal hernia at the beginning of its development does not have acute symptoms that could serve as a reason for going to the doctor, its presence is diagnosed completely by accident. For example, when a patient is examined for lung disease.
Possible complications
As indicated above, intercostal hernia is not detected immediately, since it does not have specific symptoms. From the beginning of its development to detection, enough time passes for which the disease has time to develop. At the same time, a hernia can bring a person many troubles, including such diseases:
- Pleurisy - inflammation of the pleural lobes, which play the role of the membrane of the lungs. This complication may occur due to compression of a part of the lung with ribs.
- Since the patient has a part of the lung pinched, breathing problems occur, shortness of breath appears.
Also among the complications, an increase in the protruding fragment of the lung can be noted, which begins to bring discomfort in everyday life.
Treatment principles
Therapy for post-traumatic hernia of the lung or if it is associated with other diseases may vary. Also, the degree of protrusion of the lung fragment, the presence or absence of any complications affects this. The principles of treatment are as follows:
- Conservative therapy if the disease is at an early stage and has no complications. It implies the appointment of medications and physiotherapeutic procedures to the patient.
- Treatment, which is necessary to eliminate complications, as well as painful sensations arising from a strong protrusion of the respiratory organ in the chest area.
- Surgical intervention, if the methods described above do not bring the desired result.
- Folk remedies that have a restorative effect on the body.
Subject to all medical prescriptions, the problem of intercostal hernia is solved quite easily. At the same time, attention should be paid to the disease or injury, which could be an impetus for the development of pathology.
Medication-free treatment
Having completed all the necessary diagnostic measures and finally having decided on the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment. The course depends on the severity of the disease and related factors.
If the protrusion of the pulmonary fragment is insignificant and is at an early stage of development (when no complications have yet appeared), conservative therapy is indicated, which in this case consists in wearing a tight bandage on the chest, the purpose of which is to direct part of the lung into place. The role of such a bandage can be a regular elastic bandage, post-traumatic bandage or belt for the back.
The wearing time of such a bandage is calculated individually by the attending physician. Often, shooting it is allowed only to take a shower. Typically, the wearing time of the bandage is about 30 days. After a month, the doctor assesses the condition of the patient and determines further treatment, if necessary.
Drug treatment
In some cases, therapy is prescribed with the use of medications.
Most often, doctors prescribe the following drugs:
- "Baralgin." What does this medicine help from? It is used as an anesthetic. Doctors prescribe it to patients who complain of a rather unpleasant sensation in the area of protrusion of the lung.
- If the pain is more pronounced and accompanied by inflammation, then stronger drugs are used than Baralgin. What helps Dexamethasone and Diprospan? These are glucocorticoids, they are hormonal, therefore, they are prescribed only for severe pain syndrome.
- "Midokalm" and analogues for relieving muscle spasm.
- The drug "Osteomed" to strengthen bone tissue. It is necessary, as pressure is applied to the chest.
- With pathological cough, drugs are used, such as Butamirat, Glauvent.
To maintain immunity, vitamin complexes with a high content of B vitamins and calcium are prescribed.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine methods should not be the only treatment, as they are not able to save a person from an existing problem. Despite this, many of them have a positive effect on the immune system, the body.
With intercostal hernia, it is recommended to use the following methods of alternative medicine:
- Rubbing the chest with camphor oil has a warming effect that positively affects blood circulation. This is very important for the blood to circulate well in the transferred part of the lungs.
- Vitamin teas based on peppermint, lemon balm, rose hip, sea buckthorn positively affect the body. In addition, they are able to enhance mood.
- Alcohol compresses are used for the same purpose as rubbing breasts with camphor oil.
The use of alternative methods of treatment should be carried out only after consulting the attending physician, as well as with complete confidence in the absence of an allergic reaction to any natural components.
Surgical intervention
If conservative methods do not bring the desired result, the attending physician will decide on the operation. It is carried out under general anesthesia, can be abdominal or endoscopic.
The choice of the type of operation is carried out taking into account the features and complexity of the pathological condition. Today, endoscopic intervention is preferred, since less blood loss and minor soft tissue injury are noted.
During the surgical procedure, the contents of the hernial sac are carefully set inward, and then the skin at the incision site is sutured. With intercostal hernia, a fusion of the pleural sac with muscle tissue may occur. This defect is also corrected during surgery.
Rehabilitation
In the postoperative period, a person is waiting for rehabilitation. For the first time after surgery, he will feel discomfort at the incision site, however, as the tissues heal, these sensations disappear.
During this period, the patient may be prescribed pain medications. In addition, within a month after the operation, immunostimulants are prescribed for the patient to restore the protective functions of the body as soon as possible. This is due to the fact that during the period when immunity decreases, all sorts of complications in the form of infectious or bacterial diseases can occur.
Separately, mention should be made of scar care. The first few days after surgery, it can not be wetted so that the seams do not open and the infection does not get inside. Also, it is not recommended to drive a car for two weeks after surgery, since the seam will strain, which will significantly slow down the regeneration process.
Conclusion
Only the attending physician can know what an intercostal hernia looks like. Its consequences depend on the correct diagnosis and therapy. The treatment of the disease is quite simple, but you need to pay attention to the root cause of the pathology.
For the timely detection of the disease, annual preventive examinations, which include fluorography, cannot be neglected. It is also very important to avoid chest injuries.