pressure or heaviness – some people with a groin hernia may experience a sensation of pressure or heaviness in the groin area. weakness or fatigue – a hernia can cause weakness or fatigue in the abdominal or groin muscles, particularly after physical activity.
Weakness. A feeling of muscle fatigue and weakness in the upper leg and groin can be a sign of a hernia.
Nausea or vomiting
Hernias often involve organs in your digestive system, from your stomach to your intestines. If your hernia is severe, the affected organ can get trapped in your muscle wall. It's called an incarcerated hernia, and it can cause digestive issues like nausea, upset stomach, and vomiting.
A hernia becomes serious when it gets stuck in the hole that it's pushed through and can't go back in. This can become painful, and in severe cases the tissue can become cut off from blood supply, causing necrosis (tissue death). Since hernias tend to worsen over time, most will need surgical repair sooner or later.
Typically, patients with ventral hernias describe mild pain, aching or a pressure sensation at the site of the hernia. The discomfort worsens with any activity that puts a strain on the abdomen, such as heavy lifting, running or bearing down during bowel movements. Some patients have a bulge but do not have discomfort.
Seek immediate care if a hernia bulge turns red, purple or dark or if you notice any other signs or symptoms of a strangulated hernia. See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in your groin on either side of your pubic bone.
Hernia recurrence.
A hernia can recur up to several years after repair. Recurrence is the most common complication of inguinal hernia repair, causing patients to undergo a second operation.
Generally, hernias aren't life threatening, but you can develop serious complications. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should speak with your medical provider right away: sudden pain that gets worse quickly. nausea and vomiting.
Complications that can happen as a result of an inguinal hernia include: obstruction – where a section of the bowel becomes stuck in the inguinal canal, causing nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, as well as a painful lump in the groin.
Common symptoms include, ache in the groin (often worse as the day progresses), testicular pain is common, trapped wind, and a 'squidging' sensation over the hernia. Frequently patients have no discomfort at all.
The psychological and emotional impacts of having a hernia can be devastating. Having a hernia may potentially decrease quality of life and therefore the emotional state of the person must be regularly assessed and supported.
Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as while coughing, vomiting, straining during a bowel movement, exercising or lifting heavy objects.
A combination of weak muscle walls and physical stress or strain can cause you to develop a hernia. Some people are born with weak abdominal muscles. For others, physical strain can weaken abdominal muscles over time. If you already have a hernia, physical strain can make it grow larger and more painful.
Get medical help immediately if: You know you have a large hernia and you experience severe chest pain, trouble breathing, or trouble swallowing. You develop heartburn along with nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, an irregular heartbeat, or you feel like your heart is beating too hard or too fast.
How Long Can You Last? Hernias will not go away on their own. If ignored or left untreated, they will only grow bigger and more painful. It's best to take care of the hernia within the first six hours of recognizing a problem or noticing a lump.
Ultimately, all hernias are caused by a combination of pressure and an opening or weakness of muscle or fascia. The pressure pushes an organ or tissue through the opening or weak spot. Sometimes the muscle weakness is present at birth. But more often, it happens later in life.
Inguinal hernias are dangerous because they tend to keep getting larger and your intestine can get trapped inside the bulge and lose its blood supply. This is called a strangulated inguinal hernia, and surgery may be needed to correct the problem.
Repairing a hernia is major surgery. And like so many other types of surgery, hernia repairs have gotten much better for patients over the years, says Leon Clarke, MD, a general surgeon at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
If it is left untreated, a strangulated hernia can lead to life-threatening conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis (severe inflammation of intestine) and sepsis. Since hernias can happen to anyone at any age, knowing warning signs of hernias and being aware of them are essential.
Will my stomach shrink after hernia repair? The size of your stomach will not necessarily shrink after a hernia repair. However, depending on the cause of your hernia and the type of repair you have, you may experience changes in your abdominal appearance after surgery.
If you have a noticeable bulge or protrusion accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever or chills, or if you are unable to have a normal bowel movement, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. If your doctor isn't available right away, go straight to the closest emergency room or call 911.
How long can you live with a hernia? The absolute answer is that it is “unpredictable.” Some can live with a hernia for their whole life while others will develop a hernia related emergency within months of the development of their hernia.