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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSome inguinal hernias don't cause any symptoms, and you may not know you have one until your doctor discovers it during a routine medical exam. Often, however, you can see and feel the bulge created by the protruding intestine. The bulge is usually more obvious when you stand upright, especially if you cough or strain.
Inguinal hernia signs and symptoms include:
- A bulge in the area on either side of your pubic bone
- Pain or discomfort in your groin, especially when bending over, coughing or lifting
- A heavy or dragging sensation in your groin
- Occasionally, in men, pain and swelling in the scrotum around the testicles when the protruding intestine descends into the scrotum
Signs and symptoms in children
About five in every 100 children have inguinal hernias. Inguinal hernias in newborns and children result from a weakness in the abdominal wall that's present at birth. Sometimes the hernia may be visible only when an infant is crying, coughing or straining during a bowel movement. In an older child, a hernia is likely to be more apparent when the child coughs, strains during a bowel movement or stands for a long period of time.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in the area on either side of your pubic bone. The bulge is likely to be more noticeable when you're standing upright, and you usually can feel it if you put your hand directly over the affected area.
You should be able to gently and easily push the hernia back into your abdomen when you're lying down. If not, applying an ice pack to the area may reduce the swelling enough so that the hernia slides in easily. Lying with your pelvis higher than your head also may help.
If you still aren't able to push the hernia in, the herniated intestine may have become trapped (incarcerated) in the abdominal wall — a serious condition that may require immediate medical attention. This condition may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or a fever, and a hernia bulge that turns red, purple or dark. If any of these signs or symptoms occur, call your doctor right away.
- Brooks DC. Classification and development of groin hernias. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Inguinal hernia. National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/inguinalhernia/index.htm. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Brooks DC. Treatment of groin hernias. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Inguinal hernia. Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec21/ch238/ch238j.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Patient information for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). http://www.sages.org/publication/id/PI06/. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Ramsook C, et al. Overview of inguinal hernia in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
