Hernia is a disease that can affect anyone at any age, and that doctors encounter daily. It appears when a part of an organ protrudes through the muscular fiber that holds is and creates a small lump. There are several types of hernia. Inguinal hernia is one of the most common types of hernia, and millions have it. Each year more than a hundred thousand inguinal hernias are operated.

Inguinal hernia is caused by the fact that the muscles from the abdominal wall get weakened in time due to aging or intense physical activity. The soft tissue that the intestine is made of protrudes through a small opening that occurs in the muscles because of their weakness, creating a bulge or lump. The lump that appears is usually painful. In some cases the pain is very severe, and it gets worse when the patient coughs or sneezes.

The first symptom of inguinal hernia is a big lump that appears in the groin area. At men a lump can also appear on the testicles. At most patients the lump does not hurt when it is touched, but it can cause discomfort. It gets bigger when the patient coughs or sneezes and the pressure in the abdomen increases. The lump can in most cases be pushed back and then it will slowly re-appear. If it can't be pushed back then it means that a part of the intestine is strangled and it is trapped there. This is dangerous because the trapped intestine's blood supply gets cut off and that part will soon die. When this happens the patient experiences pain in that area, vomiting, sickness, and if nothing is done to treat it, a strangulated hernia can lead to serious complications.

If you experience any of its symptoms and suspect that you have an inguinal hernia, consult a doctor for a professional advice. He can place the diagnose after a few physical examinations. The best thing to do to if you have an inguinal hernia is to operate it. You can live with the affection, but it is uncomfortable and there's always a risk that it becomes strangulated, so doctors advise not to avoid the surgery. The procedure is very simple and common and the patient can return home the second day usually, but he/she must stay away from physical effort a few weeks until the body is fully healed.

Inguinal hernia can't be prevented but it is known that those that are overweight and involve in many demanding physical activities are at a higher risk of developing an inguinal hernia than others.