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Inguinal hernias are the most common, occurring mainly in men. They appear in either your groin or scrotum. This condition is caused by part of your bowel or fatty tissue pushing through a weak spot at the top of your inner thigh. The resulting lump or swelling can be painful and becomes more noticeable when you're lifting something.

Straining on the toilet due to constipation or moving heavy objects can put an increased amount of pressure on your abdomen and can lead to the sudden appearance of an inguinal hernia. A persistent or heavy cough has also been linked to this condition.

What are the signs and symptoms of an inguinal hernia?

• Bulge or swelling on either side of your public bone
• Burning or aching sensation
• Weakness or pressure in your groin
• Pain or discomfort in your groin
• Pain and swelling around the testicles

What are the risk factors?

• Men are eight times more likely to develop inguinal hernias than women
• Family history of the condition
• Chronic constipation
• Premature birth and low birth weight

A rare type, accounting for only 3% of all hernias, a femoral hernia can appear as a painful lump or swelling in the inner upper part of the thigh or groin. This condition occurs when a part of the bowel or fatty tissue pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle wall known as the femoral canal.

Due to the wider shape of the female pelvis, a femoral hernia is particularly common in older women.

What are the signs and symptoms of a femoral hernia?

• Sudden groin pain or discomfort that intensifies when standing, lifting, or straining
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea, vomiting, or both

What are the risk factors?

• Women are ten times more likely to develop this type of hernia than men
• Chronic constipation
• Being overweight
• Enlarged prostate causing difficult urination
• Chronic coughing, such as from smoking
• Excessive straining during childbirth

A rare type of abdominal wall hernia, a spigelian hernia is usually located in the lower abdomen and typically affects the intestines and omentum. This condition is caused by a split-like opening or weakness in the spigelian fascia (located at the front of your abdomen).

In general, a spigelian hernia can be identified as a soft, painless lump or bulge on your abdominal wall that can increase or decrease in size on its own.

What are the signs and symptoms of a spigelian hernia?

• Pain in your abdomen that is unrelated to food or illness
• Abdominal pain that intensifies when coughing, heavy lifting, or during a bowel movement
• Sudden change in bowel movements, such as constipation or a change in stool
• Blood in your stools

What are the risk factors?

• Chronic cough
• Frequent straining when on the toilet or lifting heavy objects
• Being overweight
• Trauma to the abdomen
• Pregnancy
• Trauma to the abdomen
• Fluid in the abdomen, caused by conditions such as liver problems

A lumbar hernia is a protrusion through the lumbar triangle, located between the bottom rib and the hip bone in the lower back. It is usually visible as a lump on the back, on either side of the abdomen.

This type of hernia is less common and only accounts for 1.5% of all abdominal hernias.

What are the signs and symptoms of a lumbar hernia?

Many of the symptoms mimic common lower back pain, often leading to a misdiagnosis.

• Lower back pain, which increases with coughing or straining
• Weakness or numbness in one leg or foot
• Tender bulge
• Abdominal cramps
• Shooting pain down one side of the buttock into the leg

What are the risk factors?

• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Frequent driving
• Physically demanding job with an increased risk of back problems
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Trauma to the side or back of the abdominal wall

A very rare hernia type, mostly affecting older women, the obturator hernia is caused by a protrusion of the intestine through a weak spot or opening in the pelvis.

Although some cases will have a visible protruding lump, the majority of obturator hernias are hidden due to their location and can be difficult to diagnose.

What are the signs and symptoms of an obturator hernia?

• Abdominal bloating
• Nausea, vomiting, or both
• Constipation
• Abdominal cramps
• Bowel obstruction

What are the risk factors?

• Women are nine times more likely to develop this type of hernia than men
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Ascites

A ventral hernia, or abdominal hernia, is caused by a weakness or gap in the abdominal wall, resulting in the protrusion of your intestine or other tissue.

The causes of this condition can vary depending on its location - in addition to your medical history, level of health and personal anatomy.

Below are the three types of ventral hernias:

1. Umbilical hernia

Most common in infants, an umbilical hernia appears as a swelling or bulge near the naval. It can be especially noticeable when the infant cries, causing the belly button to protrude slightly. This condition occurs when part of the intestine pushes through the opening in your abdominal muscles located near the belly button.

Children's umbilical hernias are typically harmless and often closing on their own within the first two years of life. However, when they appear during adulthood, they can cause abdominal discomfort and are more likely to require surgical repair.

What are the signs and symptoms of an umbilical hernia?

• Bulge in or near the belly button
• Pain or tenderness in the abdomen
• Bloated, round abdomen
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Sharp abdominal pain with vomiting (this can be a sign of a strangulated umbilical hernia)

What are the risk factors?

• Persistent, heavy cough
• Fluid in the abdominal cavity
• Being overweight
• Having a multiple pregnancy, such as twins or triplets
• Previous abdominal surgery
• Long-term peritoneal dialysis to treat kidney failure

2. Incisional hernia

Following abdominal surgery, around one-third of patients will develop an incisional hernia. This condition occurs at or in close proximity to a surgical incision, as a result of a weakening of the abdominal muscle. Although they can develop at any time, an incisional hernia is most likely to occur within three to six months post-surgery.

What are the signs and symptoms of an incisional hernia?

• Lump or protrusion in the abdomen (at or near the area of a previous incision)
• Constipation
• Narrow or thin stool
• Nausea, vomiting, or both
• Fever
• Rapid heart rate
• Pain in the abdomen

What are the risk factors?

• Patients having undergone emergency surgery
• Being overweight
• Post-operative wound infection
• Midline incision carries a 74% risk increase
• Smoking
• Diabetes mellitus
• Connective tissue disorders
• Excessive or premature physical exercise following surgery
• Pregnancy

3. Epigastric hernia

An epigastric hernia occurs when fatty tissue pushes through an opening in your stomach, appearing as a bulge in between your belly button and breast bone (sternum). This condition is the result of increased pressure in the abdominal cavity and is usually easy to recognise. Men are two to three times more likely to develop an epigastric hernia.

In 20% of cases, multiple hernias coexist and can cause severe pain. They can be present at birth or develop later in life.

What are the signs and symptoms of an epigastric hernia?

• Visible bulge in the affected area
• Pain can range from a sharp and sudden sensation to a dull ache that worsens throughout the day, especially when sneezing, coughing, or lifting heavy objects
• Bloating or constipation

What are the risk factors?

• Prior pregnancy
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• Steroid use
• Smoking
• Lifting heavy weights or objects

While most hernia surgical repairs are successful, there is a small chance of a hernia reappearing near or in the same place as before, either months or years after surgery.

There are several causes of hernia recurrence, such as an unhealed surgical wound or weakened abdominal muscles. Various activities and behaviours that strain the initial repair during the post-surgery recovery process can also increase the risk, as well as certain conditions.

What are the signs and symptoms of a recurrent hernia?

• Bulge or swelling at or near the location of the previous hernia
• Pain that can range from a dull ache to sharp and severe, intensified when coughing, sneezing, or lifting heavy objects
• Bloating
• Constipation

What are the risk factors?

• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Heavy lifting or other strenuous activities
• Medications that impact the immune system, such as steroids or chemotherapy