can i develop a hernia from excessive sneezing post-op?
i have severe antihistamine-resistant allergies, im 6 days post op from laparoscopic gallbladder removal, and for the past 2 days, ive been experiencing a nonstop allergy attack that has me sneezing, on average, at least 3 times an hour, usually twice that much.
my umbilical incision, which was much better just 3 days ago, is now more painful than ever and im terrified that im developing a hernia and have no idea what to do. in the past 24 hrs ive taken benadryl, claritin, and zyrtec, and ive done nasal irrigation and steroid nasal spray, and none of it has made it stop. every time i sneeze i feel it right in my bellybutton, even if i brace my abdomen before i sneeze, and it hurts so bad. even when im not sneezing or moving, my umbilical incision is so sore.
it's not visibly bulging when i sneeze or cough, from what i can see, but i feel it "push" every time, intensely. it hurts like a bad, throbbing bruise.
is there anything i can do for myself? could an urgent care give me some sort of steroid shot to make this stop? when ive had allergy attacks like this in the past, ive been told there was nothing they could do for me, but this is terrifying me. im not just miserable from the allergies, im scared that the sneezing is causing irreparable damage to my abdominal wall that already has a bunch of tears in it!!
Posted Jun 3, 2025, 4:11 AM UTC