Can hernia heal on its own?

Sep 27, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Yang Ziqi

Introduction

In most cases, hernias cannot heal on their own. Only a very small number of umbilical hernias in infants may close spontaneously as they grow and develop. Once a hernia is detected, timely medical evaluation is necessary. For adults and infants whose hernias do not resolve spontaneously, surgical repair of the abdominal wall defect is required for a definitive cure, to prevent complications such as incarceration, which could lead to serious consequences like intestinal necrosis if left untreated.

In most cases, hernias cannot heal on their own. Only a very small number of infantile umbilical hernias may close spontaneously as the child grows and develops. The specific analysis is as follows:

A hernia is a protrusion formed when an organ or tissue inside the abdominal cavity pushes through a weak area, defect, or opening in the abdominal wall. The fundamental issue is an abnormal gap in the abdominal wall structure. In adults, abdominal wall tissues have fully matured and lack regenerative or self-repair capability; therefore, weak areas or defects persist and may even enlarge due to increased intra-abdominal pressure, causing recurrent herniation that cannot resolve spontaneously.

In infants, small umbilical hernias with a diameter less than 1 cm may close naturally within two years of age as the abdominal muscles strengthen during development. However, umbilical hernias larger than 2 cm in diameter or those that remain open beyond the age of two, as well as other types of hernias such as inguinal hernias, cannot heal on their own.

Once a hernia is detected, timely medical evaluation is necessary. Adults and infants with hernias that cannot resolve spontaneously require surgical repair to close the abdominal wall defect for definitive treatment, preventing complications such as incarceration, which could lead to severe consequences like intestinal necrosis if left untreated.

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