How to know when you have a hernia

The groin pain is complicated. It can creep up you as a dull pain or burning sensation. Or it can announce himself suddenly and sharp. Although it’s easy to jump into “Hernia” when you see the pain in the groin, there are other potential actors.

The medical term for hernias in the groin area is inguinal hernias (the most common type) and femoral hernias (less common type). Most people who have groin hernias are diagnosed with inguinal hernias.

Learning how to find out when you might have a hernia and when other things might happen can help you get the right treatment.

Looking for the masses

“It is common to think you might have a hernia when it is actually sprained in the groin,” said Aaron Sachs, MD, a surgeon at Uva Health who has expertise in improving hernias. “The number 1 way to distinguish between groin or tension hernias is if there is a mass.”

Mass may be too small to feel, “But if there is no mass, there is no hernia,” he said.

Hernias in the groin develop when the tissue in the stomach pushes through a weak point in the abdominal wall near the groin. This creates a bulge, or the mass.

Pay attention to pain

Hernias can cause pain and discomfort. In severe cases, they can also cause changes in intestinal or bladder habits.

Pain can occur with hernias or groin strains, but usually there are differences.

For example, “You can lift something and pay attention to the masses,” said Sachs. “But the truth is often that the masses have slowly developed until you realize it while lifting something heavy. On the other hand, with sprains or tensions of the groin, far more likely that you have no problems before, and now have pain after doing something physical.”

Also, the pain with hernias tends to feel like a blunt or burning pain, although it can be sharpened when you lift something or even sneeze or cough. The groin strain is usually a sharp pain that you pay attention to when the muscles or tendons are injured. But it becomes more than feeling of pain or tenderness from time to time.

Reduce sports hernias

There is also something called a sports hernia, said Sachs, who is actually not a hernia. Or even the muscles that are pulled. Conversely, this is an injury that is too often used that causes groin pain.

“It is included in the sprains of the groin and tension more than the hernia camp,” Sachs said. “While we sometimes treat it with surgery, sports hernias are different animals.”

Know when to call a doctor

It is important to watch out for severe pain in the groin, especially when you also experience nausea and vomiting, said Cullen Carter, MD, a surgeon at UVA Health who specializes in abdominal surgery, including hernia improvement.

“If you have sharp pain that appears suddenly, along with symptoms like nausea and vomiting, it can mean hernias that require emergency surgery to be repaired,” Carter said.

Get the right treatment

Treating hernias in the groin is far different from the treatment of the groin stretches.

Treatment for hernias depends on the type, size, symptoms, and risk of complications. Muscle or sprained tension can improve with rest and ice. But hernias will not heal on its own. It is best to talk to hernia specialists who can help determine the right treatment for you.

A specialist can recommend waiting. It monitored the hernia instead of conducting an immediate operation. They may also suggest some changes in lifestyle. It may include losing weight or treating chronic coughs, which can make hernias worse.

However, the only way to improve hernias is by surgery. We usually recommend surgery if the hernia is:

• Cut blood supply (medical emergency)
• The greater it is
• Disturb your daily life
• Hurtful

“Building relationships with specialists once you have a diagnosis of hernias, even if you do not immediately undergo surgery, it is very important to make sure you get the treatment you need, when you need it,” Carter said.