Hernias occur when an organ breaks through its tissue wall, with the most common type being in the abdomen. Inguinal hernias occur when tissue from the abdominal cavity pushes through the bottom of the abdomen into the inguinal canal, while femoral hernias occur when tissue enters the femoral canal. Sports hernias are not technically hernias but can cause similar symptoms. Symptoms include painless bulges and discomfort in the lower abdomen, and diagnosis may require an MRI or exploratory surgery. If left untreated, hernias can lead to hernia strangulation or even death.
A hernia, one of the most common reasons for surgery, occurs when part of an organ breaks through the tissue that normally contains it and intrudes on other parts of the body. This can happen due to trauma or injury or simply due to a natural weakness in a tissue wall. The most common hernias occur in and around the abdomen and involve protrusion of the small intestine. Symptoms of abdominal and inguinal hernia can range from mild and painless to obvious and disabling.
Hernias affecting the groin can be classified into several subtypes. Direct or indirect inguinal hernias, collectively the most common type of hernia in both males and females, occur when tissue from the abdominal cavity pushes through the bottom of the abdomen into the inguinal canal, which is a small tube that houses the spermatic cord or the round ligament in men and women, respectively. In men, the wall that separates the inguinal canal from the abdomen is often a natural weak point due to its relatively large size.
Femoral hernias, while less common overall, are more likely to affect women. As the name suggests, these occur when tissue from the abdomen enters the femoral canal, which is a section of the same compartment that houses the femoral artery and which houses a lymph node and other smaller blood vessels.
The other common hernia that affects the groin is technically not a hernia at all. A sports hernia, as you know, can show all the painful inguinal hernia symptoms associated with an inguinal or femoral hernia, but does not involve an actual protrusion of the small intestine into the groin area. A more accurate medical name for the condition is athletic groin, though the misnomer likely persists because the same types of surgery that repair inguinal hernias are often effective in resolving sports hernias. A variety of injuries in the groin area, including torn tendons and ligaments, can result in the same kind of pain or discomfort as an actual hernia and are diagnosed as athletic pubalgia.
Aside from vague discomfort in and around the lower abdomen, the first inguinal hernia symptoms that people tend to notice are painless bulges on one or both sides of the body, usually a small distance below the belly button. While bumps don’t occur in all cases, when they do, they’re a sure sign of a hernia. The fact that a bulge isn’t always visible, coupled with the fact that sports hernias will never result in a bulge, can make diagnosis difficult, however.
Often, a variety of inguinal hernia symptoms must be paired with a magnetic resonance image (MRI) to determine the exact problem. However, MRI can also be inconclusive, and it is not uncommon for exploratory surgery to be undertaken without an exact diagnosis having been made. A surgeon will go close to the site of any discomfort and look for tears or evidence of a hernia that can be repaired.
Inguinal hernia symptoms of any type should be investigated without delay. If left unresolved, a bulging portion of the intestine can have its blood supply cut off, an incredibly painful condition known as hernia strangulation or hernia incarceration. Vomiting and severe nausea are also symptoms of a strangulated hernia, as well as the possibility of testicular damage in men. While rare due to the fact that pain alone usually results in quick treatment, gangrene and eventual death can occur if a strangulated hernia is left untreated.
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