The oblong process of the sternum has increased - how to be?

What is the xiphoid process of the sternum, where is this part of the skeleton, and what pathological phenomena are associated with it? The answers to all the questions are in the materials of this article.

general information

The human body is a very fragile and complex system. Absolutely all of its elements are interconnected and are in close interaction. Having experienced unpleasant sensations in any part of the body, people often begin to get lost and can not understand what they are caused. So, let's work out together what to do if the xiphoid process of the sternum hurts and hurts.

What is it like?

The xiphoid process is the distal part of the sternum. Initially, it is cartilaginous, and after a certain period of time it knocks. As you know, this happens to 20 years. It should be specially noted that the xiphoid process of the sternum does not connect with the ribs. The size and shape of this part of the skeleton in different people can vary significantly. By the way, the process fully fuses with the sternum when it reaches 30 years of age.

Why does it hurt?

Not everyone knows for what reasons the xiphoid process of the sternum can hurt. However, experts argue that this pathological condition most often acts as a sign of a variety of diseases affecting the internal organs, which are in the immediate vicinity of the sternum. They can be:

• stomach;
• a heart;
• The gall bladder.

Symptoms of diseases

If the xiphoid process of the sternum hurts due to diseases of any internal organs, unpleasant sensations will appear not only during pressure, but also due to physical (even minor) loads on the body, and after eating.

Other reasons

If the xiphoid process of the sternum constantly hurts, then the cause of this may well be the syndrome of the costal sliding cartilage. As a rule, such a pathological condition occurs due to severe injuries. Thus the person experiences a pain in a breast bone which gradually subsides and is shown exclusively during pressure. It should be noted that such unpleasant sensations are dull.

Often, having got rid of severe pain, the patient believes that the disease has passed by itself, and he no longer needs qualified help. However, the syndrome of the costal cartilage can easily lead to inflammatory reactions in the xiphoid process.

Diseases of the digestive tract

There are also cases when discomfort in the region of the xiphoid process is a consequence of any abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, this is the way the stomach ulcer can manifest itself. In this regard, it is recommended to pay attention not only to pain, but also to accompanying symptoms such as vomiting or nausea, heartburn, lack of appetite, etc.

Why does the xiphoid process of the sternum bulge?

As is known, this lower segment of the sternum has one or more openings, which are covered from the inside by a dense fibrous plate. If it is absent due to acquired or congenital causes, then through this cavity begins to pass the preperitoneal tissue or peritoneum. That's why some people can observe that their xiphoid process of the sternum bulges out.

Herniated process of sternum

As mentioned above, a pathological condition, such as a hernia of the sternum, is quite common. This deviation can be both hereditary in nature and appear after severe trauma. In any case, such patients should always seek help from an experienced specialist.

Symptoms of a hernia

Among the main symptoms of such a deviation is the pain syndrome. But apart from him, there are also the following symptoms:

• The hernia gates tighten and become rigid;
• The outgrowth grows and hernia protrusions appear;
• When palpation, the contents of the hernial sac are felt;
• When the hernia is being adjusted, the dense edges of its gates can be felt.

All these signs must necessarily push the patient to the idea of a herniated process of the sternum. However, such a diagnosis should be made only by a doctor after his personal examination.

By the way, if the xiphoid process of the sternum is increased, then an X-ray examination is performed to clarify the disease.

Treatment

Before you get rid of unpleasant sensations in the area of the xiphoid process, you should find out the cause of the pains or protrusion of this part of the sternum. For this purpose it is required to address to the doctor and undergo a medical examination.

Thus, if a disease of internal organs is the cause of the pain, then one should treat it. For this, patients can be prescribed complex drug therapy, as well as a sparing diet.

If protrusion and pain in the area of the xiphoid process result from a hernia, then most likely the doctor will recommend surgical intervention. But before the operation it is extremely important to make a differential diagnosis, which will distinguish the presented deviation from diseases with a similar symptomatology. After all, there were cases when the hernia of the sternum's procession was masked for peptic ulcers, heart diseases, angina pectoris and even gastritis.

How is the operation performed?

Surgery of the hernia of the sternum is very simple. A specialist in the classical technique processes a hernial sac, suturing the entire area of her gates. The bodies that fall inside are resectable.

Thus, during the surgical intervention an incision of 6-9 centimeters is made. In this case, it is very important for the doctor to detach the thorax from the xiphoid process. For this procedure, sometimes use special pliers. With the help of such actions, a specialist can immediately see a complete picture of the deviation and determine the nature of the hernia. If the patient has hernial gates, then they are processed, and then all the tissues in the sternum are stitched layer by layer.