We all love a decorated house for the holidays.  Colorful net lights adorn our outside fences and bushes, a festive wreath graces our front door, and jaunty nutcrackers line up in formation near our fireplaces.  The tree itself is a merry masterpiece of colorful balls, lights and garland and lights.
 
But that?s after everything is in place.  It?s the ?getting it out and getting it up? stage that can set us up for a world of hurt.  And if you?ve ever had a hernia, you know all too well what it entails.
 
When most people think of a hernia, they think of a painful condition caused by lifting heavy objects.  Which is absolutely true ? anything that causes pressure in the abdomen can trigger a hernia, including straining to lift weighty items without first stabilizing the abdominal muscles. Getting boxes of Christmas decorations down from the attic or up from the basement strains a cadre of muscles that may not have been used in a while.  Couple that with an improper lifting technique, and it?s not hard to see why hernias can be prevalent this time of year. 
 
To truly understand hernias, it helps to first understand what they?re all about from a medical perspective ? and then how to help stave them off from a holistic practitioner?s viewpoint.  A hernia basically happens when an organ or fatty tissue pushes through an opening or weak spot in the muscle or tissue that holds it in place.  This combination of increased pressure and decreased muscle strength can manifest quickly or build over a longer period of time. 
 
Hernias can best be identified by the specific part of the body involved. The most common type of hernia, comprising 70 percent of all hernias according to the British Hernia Centre, is an inguinal hernia caused when the bladder or intestine protrudes through the abdominal wall, often into the inguinal canal located in the groin.  Hiatal hernias, seen most frequently in men and women over 50, occur when the stomach pushes through the hiatus, an opening in the diaphragm, into the chest. If this isn?t bad enough, hiatal hernias are often accompanied by gastroesophageal reflux caused by stomach contents seeping into the esophagus.  The incisional hernia is just what it sounds ? the intestine pushes through the abdominal wall where surgery was previously performed.
 
Now that we?ve classified hernias, what are some ways to prevent them?  As a holistic practitioner I list obesity, insufficient water consumption, hormonal imbalance, stress, smoking and lifting heavy objects as root causes of weakened muscles and connective tissue.  From a functional perspective, I also cite a decline in growth hormone and testosterone, chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, and/or excessive gas production in the digestive system due to bacterial overgrowth or parasites.  Diet-related underlying factors can include inadequate consumption and absorption of amino acids and vital nutrients such as zinc and vitamin C.  Not only is vitamin C the natural gastric acid production stimulator, it?s also responsible for connective tissue repair ?leading many to believe that a lack of this critical nutrient may create holes in vessel walls that can ultimately result in heart attacks.
 
We offers tangible strategies for addressing the root causes of hernias that can be incorporated during the holidays as well as throughout the year.  We first recommend our patients minimizing stress, maximizing quality sleep, and attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.  From a nutritional standpoint, we also suggest for our patients decreasing or eliminating dairy products, beans and carbohydrates like rice, potatoes and simple sugars, while consuming plenty of protein, vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. Of course this is for information purposes only and should not be considered as a medical advice.  Do not make any health decisions without consulting your doctor.
 
To learn more about how to prevent and manage hernias from a holistic and individualized perspective, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kalitenko at his office in Brooklyn (718-382-9200) or Great Neck (516-467-0253.)
 
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-hernia-basics
http://www.healthline.com/health/hernia#Types2