Femoral Hernia Symptoms

The purpose of the abdominal wall is to hold all of the intestines and other contents inside of the stomach. It is a sheet of muscle and tendons that extends between your ribs and through your groin. In that wall though are natural weak areas where nerves and blood vessels travel through. One such area is recognized as the femoral canal.

The femoral canal in located in the groin. On occasion the contents in the stomach will push through it and create a bulge. This is called a femoral hernia.

Femoral Hernia Symptoms

People who have a femoral hernia will usually not have any symptoms except for a large lump that is able to be seen in the groin near the inner and upper portion of the thigh. This lump can be caused when a person coughs, strains from lifting something heavy, or is exercising.

In certain cases the hernia will become painful to the person. This usually occurs when the hernia is strangulated – twisted around intestines. It will cause the person severe pain, nausea, and gangrene. When not treated right away the intestine will die to the lack of blood.

Femoral Hernia Diagnosis

If you believe that you might have a femoral hernia than you need to make an appointment with your doctor. They will be able to examine you and diagnose the problem accurately for you. They will examine the area of the groin when you are lying down, standing up, or coughing.

They will try to feel for a lump and to see if it is able to be pushed back inside. Once they have diagnosed the problem they will recommend a surgeon who will be able to repair it for you. If the hernia is reducible you might be able to hold off on the surgery until it becomes much larger or painful.