… Continued …
- Inguinal hernia is the most common type of abdominal hernia. Though it’s more common in men, sometimes it can affect women. The bulge of inguinal hernia usually occurs in the groin or scrotum. Place your fingertip into your scrotal sac – if necessary, advance up into your inguinal canal to find a mass or swelling!
- Attempt to assign the borders of your fascial defect to look for a mass or swelling elsewhere on your abdominal area!
- A mass or swelling felt below the inguinal ligament is usually associated with femoral hernia.
When you place your fingertip in the affected area, check what you feel! If the swelling comes from deep to superficial, and it strikes the pad of your finger, the problem may be a direct hernia. But if it strikes the distal tip of your finger and it comes from superolateral to inferomedial, this may signal an indirect hernia.
An inguinal hernia occurs when you have a thin, weak spot on your abdominal wall. Depending on how and when it develops, it can be categorized into two categories; direct and indirect hernias. What are the differences?
Direct hernias are usually acquired as you age, typically they develops later in life (in adulthood), though it can also occur early (in childhood, triggered by a specific injury in the abdominal cavity for example). Indirect hernias are congenital problem, associated with birth defect.
Tests and diagnosis
However for accurate diagnosis, it’s much better to see your doctor! A physical examination of your abdomen is usually enough to diagnose the disease, especially if the hernia is large so it’s easy to identify.
But if there is still no accurate answer whether or not the problem is hernia, some additional tests may be required. For example, an imaging test such as MRI or CT scan may be your option if the diagnosis of the problem is not readily apparent.
- http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/surgery/divisions/general-surgery/hernia-surgery/ventral-hernia
- http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/189563-overview#a3
