What do inguinal hernias feel like

Update my browser now. Home Patients Conditions Hernia. About 5 million people in the U. Think you might have a hernia? While some hernias have no symptoms and are found during a routine physical , most inguinal hernias will have one or more of the following:. If you noticed a sudden pain in the groin or a sensation as if something had torn, you may be right.

A hernia is a weakness or tear in the abdominal muscle wall, which normally holds the inner lining of the abdomen and internal organs in place i. The weakness or tear allows the inner lining to protrude and form a pouch.

The bulge you might see is usually a loop of intestine protruding through the tear in the muscle and into that pouch. The area where inguinal hernias occur is the opening through which the testicles descend during fetal development.

It usually closes up before birth except for a small space allowing the spermatic cord to pass to the scrotum. The short answer: Yes. The tear gets bigger, and the bigger the tear, the bigger the surgery needed to fix it. Pregnancy is a risk factor that makes women more susceptible to developing another type of ventral hernia near the belly button, called an umbilical hernia.

The umbilicus is the thinnest part of the abdominal wall. People often believe that only men get them, and for anatomical reasons, they do have a higher risk. But women can certainly have inguinal hernias, too. Many experts agree that women are likely underdiagnosed for this condition because they tend to have different symptoms than men. Women may not have a noticeable bulge.

If symptoms indicate a possible hernia but your doctor cannot confirm it by an exam, an MRI can provide definitive evidence. A: Treatment varies depending on the type of hernia, symptoms and the patient's sex.

Inguinal hernias in women are more likely to become emergencies. Women also have a greater chance of developing complications than in men.

So, we typically recommend surgical repair after diagnosis. Studies of men with inguinal hernias indicate the risk of having an emergency, like part of the bowel getting stuck or strangled in the muscle gap, is quite low. But because hernias tend to grow larger or cause symptoms over time, most men will require surgery within 10 years of hernia diagnosis. There are two surgical treatments for inguinal hernias.

Minimally invasive surgery is often performed laparoscopically, requiring only keyhole-size incisions through which a tiny camera and instruments can be inserted to make repairs. Minimally invasive robotic surgery similar to laparoscopy, but surgeons use a controller to move instruments is also an option. With minimally invasive surgery, patients are back to their regular activity within two weeks.

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