10 Signs and Symptoms of a Hernia
A hernia can occur in any part of the body.
However, the most common areas of the body inflicted are the inner groin (inguinal hernia),
outer groin (femoral hernia) near the navel (umbilical hernia), upper abdomen (hiatal
hernia), or at the site of a recent surgical scar (incisional hernia).
Hernias are lumps caused when a weakening of the muscle walls occur and fatty tissue
squeezes through connective tissue.
They most typically form when an internal organ (usually the bowel or bladder) or part
of the intestine pushes out through the surrounding muscle.
Ranging from mild to extremely painful when exposed, hernias usually go away when you
press on them or lie down, but they can be aggravated by coughing or sneezing.
If they don’t dissipate on their own, you may require surgery to prevent them from worsening.
Here are ten common signs and symptoms of a hernia…
1.
Visible Lump
The first sign of a hernia is often a noticeable swelling under the skin, which will likely
turn into a visible lump or bulge.
This protrusion forms as a sac in the organs (most commonly the intestines) but sometimes
also in the wall of the abdomen, groin, or navel.
Untreated hernias become severe and very painful as the muscle widens and splits, and as more
and more intestinal organ or abdominal tissue is forced through the opening, forming an
even larger sac.
This notable protrusion, or bulging sac, is one of the primary characteristics of a hernia,
and typically develops due to weakened tissue that’s present at birth or organ/tissue
that wears down later in life.
You may notice the bulge before you feel pain, but in many cases patients feel pain before
the protrusion is noticeable to the naked eye.
It’s very important that you go to your doctor as soon as you notice a lump as it
may signify another health issue, such as type of abnormal growth or a cancerous tumor.
2.
Pain
Hernia pain can range from slightly uncomfortable to severely painful—particularly the longer
you leave it untreated.
Most times a new hernia will be painless.
According to patient reports, hernia pain ranges from:
- No pain at all, just a visual protrusion (or bulging sac) in the area of the groin
or navel.
- A pressure-filled or heavy sensation in the abdomen.
This pressure can be exacerbated when the patient bends over to pick up an object or
from sheer pressure due to bending at the waist.
- Pain or aching that gradually worsens with exerting movement, such as lifting, bending
over to retrieve objects, carrying heavy objects, or sitting for long periods of time (i.e.,
at a desk or in a vehicle) can become excruciating.
However, if the pain is severe, the hernia may be strangulated (which means that the
blood supply is cut off).
You can’t ignore a strangulated hernia as the pain will be so excruciating and you will
require immediate medical attention.
3.
A Full Feeling
A heavy, full, bloated, or uncomfortable feeling in your gut is common to those with umbilical
or hiatal hernias in the abdominal area.
Umbilical hernias are hernias that develop in the intestine and protrude via an opening
in the layered abdominal muscles.
Umbilical hernias are most typical in infants (roughly at age 1 to 3-years old) that are
born with weak organ or abdominal tissues.
However, these hernias can appear in adulthood as well.
Hiatal herinas, on the other hand, results from sacs in the stomach that force tissue
up through your diaphragm opening (known as the hiatus).
Small hiatal hernias aren’t usually an issue, however, larger hiatal hernias can result
in pain when food and acid back up into the esophagus, as the esophagus passes through
the hiatus on route to the stomach.
A feeling characterized as a dragging sensation in your groin, may be a inguinal hernia (which
is a soft tissue hernia of the abdominal cavity (or omentum) that presses through weakened
abdominal muscles) or a femoral hernia (a sac in the groin and thigh made up of intestine
forcing into the wall of the femoral canal).
These hernias will hurt whenever you sit or bend over to pick up an object.
4.
Stomach Upset
Tummy troubles—including difficulty digesting meals, heartburn, lingering digestive upset,
nausea, and bowel issues such as constipation—may occur with hernias located in the groin or
abdominal areas, such as an inguinal hernia, which bulges out of the groin near the lower
abdomen and the thigh.
Stomach upset can occur as an inguinal hernia slips in and out of the abdomen into the inguinal
canal.
A doctor can ease the feeling with a gentle massage that manipulates the hernia back into
the abdomen.
If an hernia becomes strangulated (or blood supply is cut off) you will experience nausea
and vomiting and have difficulty passing gas and having a bowel movement.
A strangulated hernia requires immediate emergency medical attention as it is life-threatening
to the patient.
5.
Reduced Blood Supply
If a hernia grows in size and becomes “strangulated”, a term that refers to it growing so large
that it gets stuck inside the weakening muscles walls, you will experience lack of blood supply
in the primary area as well as throughout the body.
If “strangulation” occurs, your life is in danger and you will require immediate emergency
surgery.
According to doctors at the British Hernia Center at the Hospital of St. John and St.
Elizabeth, “the risk of death is 7 times higher when a hernia is removed by emergency
surgery–20 times higher if the hernia surgery involves a bowel resection.”
The medical recommendation is that a hernia is diagnosed and treated before it becomes
strangulated to avoid emergency surgery at all costs.
6.
Nerve Discomfort
With lingering hernia pain, you may experience discomfort in other regions of the body that
are linked to the same nerve chain.
This will occur when the hernia irritates the nerves, and pain travels along the nerve
root.
For instance, if an inguinal hernia (located in the inner groin) pushes on the surrounding
nerves; it may cause tenderness in the legs, scrotum (for men) or the labia (for women).
Hernias that result from a sports injury (or athletics, such as hockey or soccer) can experience
nerve compression if the bulge presses into an area of the nerve, resulting in a radiation
of pain in one of the nerve dermatomes.
For instance, a hernia in the lumbar disk of the back can often entrap nearby nerves.
If a hernia is suspect and the patient is athletic, doctors will typically assume the
presence of a sports hernia.
7.
Vomiting
When a hernia starts to cause nausea and vomiting; this is a sign for concern.
It typically relates to an organ, such as the intestine, becoming trapped, or “incarcerated”
outside the abdomen, which can cause a dangerous and fatal bowel obstruction, known as an “incarcerated”
hernia.
Incarcerated hernias requires immediate and emergency surgery, and may cause the inability
to pass gas or a bowel movement.
As previously mentioned, the rate of death is 20 times higher if emergency bowel resection
surgery is performed.
This is why most medical doctors will attempt to diagnose a hernia well before emergency
surgery is required, according to claims by the British Hernia Center at the Hospital
of St. John and St. Elizabeth.
8.
Muscle Weakness
Similar to nerve pressure, localized hernias may also cause fatigue or pressure the area
of origin.
For instance, an inguinal hernia of the inner groin will put pressure on the surrounding
leg and groin muscles.
When a hernia slips out of place, it will cause discomfort of varying degrees and should
eventually be surgically repaired (unless another medical condition prevents surgery).
While awaiting surgery, patients may be given a surgical belt or a truss (an elasticized
underwear garment) to wear in order to keep the bulge flat and from slipping in and out.
You can also gently manipulate a hernia into place by lying down and massaging it gently
back into the abdomen.
If you can’t gently push it inwards, the hernia may be trapped in the abdominal wall,
and emergency surgery is required.
9.
Pain with Movement
You may not notice pain with movement initially, but a growing hernia will increase with pain
when you make sudden movements—for instance should you coughing, laugh, or sneeze, or
even bend down suddenly to lift an object, a hiatal hernia may slip out of place, forcing
tissue outwards, and increasing in size (or bulge) when pressure is placed on the abdomen.
Patients with hernia may also find sitting down for long periods of time very painful
if the hernia originates in the abdomen.
This means that driving long distances and sitting in a desk all day may cause the hernia
to slip out of place and bulge outward.
Bending at the waist at all may cause to much pressure and discomfort in the abdominal or
groin area.
10.
Difficulty with Daily Activities
Obviously, as the hernia grows and pain worsens, the quality of your daily life can become
affected.
For instance, pain may make common activities—such as work, playing or picking up children, social
activities, exercise, and even sex—difficult and uncomfortable.
Again, pain can be minimized while awaiting hernia repair surgery by wearing a medical
belt or a truss, which is a type of elastic underwear worn to keep a hernia in place and
flat to prevent bulging.
Painful bulges can also be gently massaged by a medical professional or by the patient.
Simply, lie flat and gently manipulate the bulging sac back into the abdomen.