Inguinal hernia is a condition in which the tissue pushes itself through weak spots of groin muscle. This in turn may cause bulging of groin area which may cause pain. The soft underlying tissue, mostly part of intestine comes out through weak spots of abdominal wall. Inguinal hernia may cause sharp pain when one coughs or lifts heavy object. This disorder has to be operated and does not go away without treatment. Inguinal hernia can be cured completely by surgical procedure.
Causes :
It is true that inguinal hernia occurs without any apparent cause. But some doctors believe that when a person exerts too much pressure on the abdomen or engages in straining activities like that of difficult bowel movements, he can get hernia.
Often, the opening of the muscle wall fails to close properly after birth causing inguinal hernia. There will be a weak area in the stomach muscle and when one exerts pressure, the tissue pushes itself through some opening to bulge out. Hernia can occur anytime and even for children.
Obesity can increase the chance of getting hernia. The person who is engaged in work involving lots of lifting and moving heavy objects is prone to get inguinal hernia easily. Very often men have this problem but some women may also have inguinal hernia during pregnancy since there would be tremendous pressure on her belly due to the development of baby.
If there is any weak point on the abdominal wall, it can cause hernia in due course.
Symptoms :
Bulging of groin or scrotum area is the only symptom of identifying hernia. It can be felt like a round structure or lump. It can cause bulging slowly as a process taking several weeks or even months. For some men, it can appear suddenly while lifting heavy objects or while coughing. Hernia can be painful but not always. There will be swelling of groin area and the affected person will feel heavy in the bottom. Pain and discomfort may not be present for all people having hernia. There can be tugging or burning sensation in that region. In rare cases, there can be nausea with vomiting when the tissues of the intestine get trapped inside hernia.