What are the Symptoms of Inguinal Hernia in Men?
People today often talk about having a hernia. It can happen to anyone, at any age, and to both men and women. Modern life has made people less active, and changes in what people eat and drink may also be to blame. One of them is a hernia in the groin.
What is an Inguinal Hernia?
An inguinal hernia is when a lump forms in the area around the groin. Even though it usually looks like swelling in the groin, it can sometimes hurt and burn. The most common type of hernia in the abdominal wall is an inguinal hernia. 75% of abdominal hernias are caused by this. It is a kind of hernia that most often affects men. There are different kinds, such as direct hernia, indirect hernia, and femoral hernia. Since both types of hernia are treated the same way, there is no need to tell the difference between them. Most of the time, an inguinal hernia happens when the swelling gets bigger over time. This lump is either made of fat or intestines. When you move, turn, or stretch, the swelling may go away. As an inguinal hernia gets worse, the swelling may move from the groin to the scrotum. Hernias that are very big are almost impossible to push back, and they hurt.
Who Gets Inguinal Hernia?
An inguinal hernia can happen to either a man or a woman. But men are more likely to have it. This is because it is a common disease in men and the veins that lead from the inguinal canal to the facility have a big hole for the spermatic cord to go through. The number of men who have it is so high that it covers 97%. A hernia in the groin can be brought on by:
- Straining (difficulty urinating, chronic constipation)
- Weight lifting
- Pregnancy
- Weight gainers (mild or moderate obesity)
- Professional athlete (weight lifter, cyclist)
What are the Symptoms of Inguinal Hernia?
Most of the time, an inguinal hernia shows up as a lump or pain in the inguinal area. Hernias get bigger when you cough, sneeze, or work out. Men can get hernias that go down into the scrotum. Small hernias in the groin go away when the person lies down. You can also push with your hand and lose it. But sometimes, like when a hernia grows, it does not go away when you push, and it hurts. This could be caused by being squished or suffocated. Most of the time, the large or small intestine goes into the hernia sac.
How Is It Diagnosed?
Most surgeons can tell if a person has an inguinal hernia just by looking at them. When the patients see the swelling, they realize that they may have an inguinal hernia. But if someone complains of groin pain or burning, it may be hard to figure out what is wrong. One example of this is athletes. Only 30% of these complaints are caused by a hernia. The other 70% are caused by something else. There are ways to treat some of these without surgery. In this case, the groin should be looked at, and an ultrasound should be done first. If there is any doubt, an MRI without contrast should be done.
How Is Inguinal Hernia Treated?
Most of the time, inguinal hernias hurt. This is because it has grown, shrunk, or gotten too small over time. In this case, surgery is needed to fix the problem. Most patients have inguinal surgery every single day. These steps are taken:
- Open inguinal surgery is done with or without anesthesia. It is done with an epidural or spinal anesthesia, which numbs the waist.
- It is a closed laparoscopic hernia surgery that is done with a robot and has just started to be used. Furthermore, it is done under general anesthesia, and there are two kinds of it.
Totally extra-peritoneal repair, or TEP, is a type of groin surgery that is done by going in through three small holes. When it goes between the layers of wall muscles in the abdomen, it makes a space here. So, it does not have to be done by going into the belly. After the hernia has been fixed, a synthetic patch is put over it, and the process is done.
TAPP (Transabdominal pre-peritoneal): This is the best way to give medicine in an emergency. In other words, this type of surgery is best for large hernias, hernias that go down into the scrotum, and when the organ is stuck or suffocating in the hernia. It is done with general anesthesia through 3 holes. This method is used if a second hernia is thought to be present while only one is being fixed. In an emergency, you will spend one night in the hospital. After 3 weeks for open inguinal surgery and 2 weeks for laparoscopic inguinal surgery, you can get back to your normal life.
