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A complete overview of Groin Hernia

You need to know the overall fundamentals of what inguinal hernia is all about

What’s Inguinal or Groin Hernia

Inguinal hernia is a commonly occurring hernia, which affects the groin area, both among men as well as women. The disorder mainly occurs, in your groin area, wherein abdominal fat (omentum) or intestinal tissues push their way, through the inguinal canal, as such. As far as inguinal canal is concerned, it is the testes that descend across the canal, amongst men. The testes descend through the canal, shortly before birth. Among women, the canal is a location for the round ligament connected to the uterus. . When you are typically diagnosed with a hernia, you can witness a noticeable or rather a protruding bulge, in your groin that may gradually increase and reach your scrotum or the genital area in women. While you sneeze, cough or stand up, the bulge gets enlarged in size.

Causes and risk factors for occurrence of Hernia

Although it is quite hard, to determine the exact cause for occurrence of Hernia, one can say, that it is the additional pressure you put on your abdominal or groin muscles, that are major contributors to this particular disorder. Apart from this, you are susceptible to getting a hernia, due to the following reasons. The risk factors include

• Genetics or Heredity
• Being overweight or obese
• Men are more susceptible to developing a hernia
• Pregnancy among women
• Chronic or severe cough
• Chronic constipation
• Prolonged straining during urination
• Standing up for a prolonged period of time

Symptoms of Groin or Inguinal Hernia

As already stated in the introductory paragraphs, it is the protruding bulge near your pubic or groin area, which is the major symptom to let you know, that you are diagnosed with Hernia. The bulges increase in size, while you stand up or cough.

Other symptoms include

1. A feeling of fullness near the groin area
2. Excessive or sharp pain while bending over, coughing or exercising
3. Swelling of the scrotum amongst men

Diagnosis

It is during a physical examination, that your doctor decides if you are diagnosed with hernia or not. He can easily push up the hernia into your abdomen, while you are lying down. However, if he is unsuccessful in his attempt you might be diagnosed with a irreducible hernia. Strangulated inguinal hernia is a more severe form , where the hernia contents loose their blood supply and u need to be treated urgently for the same. Your doctor asks you to cough, while you are standing. This can help him detect hernia, while it is at an early stage or if its small.

Treatment for Inguinal Hernias

Surgery is the treatment , for you to get rid of your hernia. Here there are two options

1. Open surgical repair and
2. Laparoscopy

In an open repair surgery, a large incision is made into the groin area, and the abdominal tissues are returned back into your abdomen, while the abdominal wall is thoroughly repaired with the help of a mesh(synthetic net like material) The surgery needs to be performed by a well experienced surgeon.

In a laparoscopy, two or three smaller incisions are made in your lower abdomen , rather than a larger one. This option is ideal for patients, who wish to have a shorter recovery time and significantly lesser pain.