Symptoms and Complications of Hernia

There are a few hernias that do not cause any visible symptoms. They may go undetected for a while until your doctor discovers it in a routine medical exam. Most of the times one is able to spot the bulge created due to hernia. It’s visible when one stands in an upright position, and especially when one coughs and puts strain on your body.

A few symptoms of inguinal hernia are:
1. Visible bulge on either side of pubic area
2. Burning sensation accompanied by aching sensation at the sight of bulge
3. Discomfort and pain within the groin area felt when you may bend down, cough or lift heavy materials
4. Weakness near the groin region
5. Pain and swelling near the testicles caused due to protruding intestine

Pushing a hernia back into the abdomen region should be gently performed while you lie down. You may apply an ice pack to the region in order to reduce swelling caused due to hernia. Elevating your pelvis higher than your head may help to reduce discomfort caused due to it.

Incarcerated Hernia

Failure to push the hernia back into its place may result in a loop of intestine getting trapped within an abdominal wall. This situation may lead to strangulated hernia which may result in stoppage of blood supply to your intestines. In such a case a surgery is required to repair the hernia and restore blood supply to the groin region. It’s essential to cure this situation immediately since it’s life threatening in nature.

A few symptoms of strangulated hernia are:

1. Feeling of nausea and vomiting
2. Fever
3. Accelerated heart rate
4. Sudden pain that intensifies in a short period of time
5. Bulge of hernia which may turn red, purple or bluish

Signs and Symptoms in Kids

Hernias in children are primarily caused due to weakness within their abdominal walls that may be present at the time of birth or may develop gradually over the years. Hernias may be visible in a child when they cough, cry, or strain during a bowel movement. In older children, it’s visible when a child coughs or keeps standing for a long period of time.

Complications of Inguinal Hernia

A few complications that may develop due to inguinal hernia are:

1. Pressure on surrounding tissues. Inguinal hernias have a tendency to get larger over time in case they aren’t treated with surgery at an appropriate time. Hernias can be fatal for surrounding areas since they may affect the scrotum, causing intense pain and swelling.

2. Incarcerated hernia. Strangling of an intestine within an abdominal wall may restrict your bowel movements in adverse ways leading to severe pain, vomiting, nausea and inability to pass water or flatulence.

3. Strangulation. A development of a hernia may lead to stoppage of blood flow to your intestines. This situation is known popularly as strangulation since it completely stops your bowel movements. This situation is life threatening in nature and calls for immediate surgery.