Hernias are common health problems, and they can be either congenital (when you’re born with a defect in the abdominal wall) or acquired. They are usually located in the central part of the human body because the abdominal wall becomes weakened and cannot stand the pressure of the internal organs and viscera. People usually associate hernia with pain and lifting weight, but there’s much more to know than that. As you will see in this article, it is true that hernias become worse after increasing your abdominal pressure, but there are many other signs and symptoms to consider, and some of them can be quite alarming.
The most important symptoms to consider if you are suspecting an abdominal hernia are as follows:
1-A bulge or lump that shows through the skin
Usually, the patients with an inguinal hernia refers to a lump or swelling in the inguinal region. This is not only reported in inguinal hernia but in hernias located in the midline, as in umbilical hernia. In most cases, patients see and feel the hernia lump, which usually becomes more obvious when standing or bidding. They often feel pain, weakness, or pressure in the affected area, and the condition is worsened by lifting heavy weight and applying pressure in the abdomen.
The lump may disappear by itself when the patient lies down and return to its original position under the skin if you apply some pressure. There are different types of hernias and severities according to whether or not you can reduce it or make it disappear with pressure and whether or not it comes back immediately after applying pressure upon it.
Your doctor bases the diagnosis of abdominal hernia on a physical exam in the affected region, and it is typically performed with the patient standing in front of the doctor, especially in inguinal hernias. The doctor might need to examine your groin, belly button, and other susceptible areas and ask you to cough in order to increase pressure in your abdominal cavity and force the hernia to pop up.