You notice a bulge in your groin that wasn't there before, or you feel an unusual ache when you lift something heavy. Maybe you've been ignoring a persistent discomfort in your lower abdomen, hoping it will resolve on its own.
It could be an inguinal hernia — a type of hernia that affects more than 27% of men during their lives. June is Men's Health Month, making now the perfect time to take care of yourself and find out what’s causing your discomfort.
Elvira Klause, MD, FACS, and our team specialize in hernia repair, and here are five facts every man should know about this most common type of hernia in the world.
Men are up to 10 times more likely to develop inguinal hernias, and more than one in four men will experience one in his lifetime. The reason inguinal hernias are so common lies in male anatomy and development.
Before you were born, your testicles descended from your abdomen down through the inguinal canal into your scrotum. It’s a natural process, but it creates an inherent weakness in your abdominal wall where the canal is located.
Over time, abdominal contents (like a portion of your intestine or abdominal fat) can push through the weak spot and create a hernia. While women have inguinal canals too, they're smaller and less prone to weakness, which explains the dramatic difference in incidence rates.
While the anatomical weakness that predisposes men to inguinal hernias is present from birth, there are other factors that play a role. You're at higher risk if you regularly perform heavy lifting, whether at work or during exercise, because lifting increases abdominal pressure.
Chronic coughing from smoking, allergies, or lung conditions creates repeated straining that pushes against your abdominal wall. Similarly, chronic constipation forces you to strain during bowel movements, which puts pressure on vulnerable areas.
Being overweight or obese also adds weight and pressure to your abdominal wall and weakens supporting tissues. Previous abdominal or groin surgery can also create weak spots that increase your risk.
It can be tempting to wait and see if the bulge in your groin disappears with rest or lifestyle changes, but inguinal hernias don't spontaneously resolve once abdominal tissue has pushed through that weak spot.
The hernia might be less noticeable when you lie down or apply gentle pressure, but that doesn’t mean it’s healing. The underlying structural problem remains, and in fact, hernias typically worsen over time. That’s because continued pressure and activity gradually make the weak spot larger. The only way to fix a hernia is surgical repair.
Your experience with an inguinal hernia might be quite different from someone else’s.
For many people, hernias cause only minimal discomfort and are discovered almost by accident during routine examinations. You might notice only a slight bulge in your groin or upper thigh, particularly when you cough, strain, or stand for long periods.
For others, hernias cause significant symptoms that interfere with daily life. You might experience a heavy, dragging sensation in your groin, sharp or aching pain that worsens with physical activity, burning or gurgling sensations at the bulge site, pain and swelling around your testicles, or weakness or pressure in your groin.
Any hernia carries the risk of complications like incarceration or strangulation. These are medical emergencies that can cause sudden, severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and inability to pass gas or have a bowel movement, and they require immediate surgical intervention.
Laparoscopic hernia repair uses several small incisions rather than one large cut. We insert a camera and specialized instruments through these tiny openings, repair the hernia, and reinforce the weakened area with surgical mesh. Then, we close the incisions with a few stitches or surgical glue.
This minimally invasive method means significantly less postoperative pain compared with traditional open surgery, smaller scars that are barely noticeable, and faster return to normal activities.
Most people go home the same day and return to desk work within a few days. Strenuous activity requires a bit longer, but recovery is still substantially faster than with traditional approaches.
This Men's Health Month, don't ignore a potential inguinal hernia or put off evaluation because you're hoping it will resolve on its own. Early treatment with laparoscopic repair offers the best outcomes, so contact us to schedule an evaluation and learn how we can help you get back to your best health quickly and safely.
