Location
A hernia is a bulge where something from inside your belly pushes through a small hole in the muscles that make up the wall of your belly (“abdominal wall”). An “inguinal hernia” is the name for a hernia in your groin, or the crease where the leg meets the body where the abdominal wall can become weak. Fat or intestine can push through the weak spot in these muscles, causing a bulge (figure 1).
Normal abdominal wall on the left, weakened abdominal wall with an inguinal hernia on the right. Blausen.com (August 29, 2014). “Medical Gallery of Clausen Medical 2014.” WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). doi:10.15347/WJM/2014.010. ISSN 2002–4436.
Function
Hernias are very common and can happen suddenly or over a long time. Factors that may increase the risk of hernia are things like a heavy cough or weight lifting (anything that puts strain on the belly). The risk of hernia also goes up with age as this wall weakens over time.
Symptoms
You may realize you have an inguinal hernia if you see a bulge or have pain in your groin. These changes that you see and think are called symptoms and they may get worse if you strain to poop, stand for a long time, or cough. They may get better or go away when you lie down. Many hernias do not cause any other problems and are not an emergency. Hernias can be “reducible,” meaning the hernia can be pushed back into place, or “non-reducible,” when the bulge cannot be pushed back in. The intestines can become stuck in the hernia which can cause pain, an inability to poop or pass gas, nausea/vomiting, fever, and changes in skin color.
If you have a hernia, you should go to the hospital if you notice:
The pain increases a lot
The bulge changes in size
Your skin changes color around your bulge
It becomes hard or impossible to poop.
These things may need more urgent surgery.
If your hernia comes back after you get a surgery you may see it “pop out” again, usually like
how it looked and felt before it was repaired. Recurrent hernias can also cause an inability to poop, skin color change, nausea/vomiting, and sudden increase in size.
