Hernia how do i know

Visit your doctor, who will do a physical exam. If the hernia is not detected in the physical exam, imaging with a focused ultrasound or CT scan will often make the diagnosis. However, surgery is generally warranted, if there are significant symptoms. Do you have symptoms of a hernia? Our expert surgeons can help. Femoral hernias also affect the groin but involve a different area of muscle weakness.

Umbilical hernias involve a section of intestine or fatty tissue pushing through the abdominal wall near the navel belly button.

Incisional hernias happen in an area where an incision was made for prior abdominal surgery. Fatty tissue or part of your intestine can push through your abdominal wall at the incision site. The location of each of these hernia types vary, and not all of them will cause the same symptoms. But the most common symptoms of an external hernia include the following:. Unlike an external hernia, an internal hernia will not create a bulge on the outside of your body.

One of the most common types of internal hernia is a hiatal hernia , in which part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle that separates your abdomen from your chest.

But sometimes a hiatal hernia can cause digestive juices in the stomach to move up into the esophagus, known as acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disorder GERD. A hiatal hernia can also cause chest pain, which may be a symptom of a heart attack. There are several other relatively rare types of internal hernias, most of which involve areas of the digestive tract pushing through surrounding structures and tissues.

These hernias are often the result of abdominal surgery, especially certain kinds of gastric bypass operations. But they can also be the result of congenital present since birth openings or weaknesses in internal abdominal structures, the most common of which is known as a paraduodenal hernia. See a GP if you think you have a hernia. They may refer you to hospital for surgical treatment, if necessary. A strangulated hernia and obstructed bowel are medical emergencies and need to be treated as soon as possible.

In some cases, they may refer you to a nearby hospital for an ultrasound scan to confirm the diagnosis or assess the extent of the problem. This is a painless scan where high-frequency sound waves are used to create an image of part of the inside of the body.

Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, a GP or hospital doctor will determine whether surgery to repair the hernia is necessary. Most people are able to go home the same day or the day after surgery and make a full recovery within a few weeks. If your doctor recommends having surgery, it's important to be aware of the potential risks, as well as the possibility of the hernia coming back. Make sure you discuss the benefits and risks of the procedure with your surgeon in detail before having the operation.

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Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. In many people, the abdominal wall weakness that leads to an inguinal hernia occurs prior to birth when a weakness in the abdominal wall muscle doesn't close properly. Other inguinal hernias develop later in life when muscles weaken or deteriorate due to aging, strenuous physical activity or coughing that accompanies smoking.

Weaknesses can also occur in the abdominal wall later in life, especially after an injury or abdominal surgery. In men, the weak spot usually occurs in the inguinal canal, where the spermatic cord enters the scrotum. In women, the inguinal canal carries a ligament that helps hold the uterus in place, and hernias sometimes occur where connective tissue from the uterus attaches to tissue surrounding the pubic bone.

You can't prevent the congenital defect that makes you susceptible to an inguinal hernia. You can, however, reduce strain on your abdominal muscles and tissues.

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