Inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia is an often painful bulge in the groin that will affect up to a quarter of men sometime during their life. It is caused by a weakness in the abdominal wall, often developing by the sudden pressure of lifting an object or through the strain of a cough or sneeze. When the bulge is obvious, as in the attached picture, the diagnosis is clear. However, many hernias are small and not readily visible, and are only diagnosed by a trained medical examiner. Incarceration refers to a hernia that has bowel trapped within, and patients who have sudden severe pain, nausea and/or vomiting need to seek immediate medical care for an emergent surgical repair…RRS