Femoral Hernia Symptoms

In our body, all the organs are safely contained in their respective cavities and are covered by a tissue lining. However, sometimes the encapsulating tissue weakens and the organ protrudes outside. This condition is called hernia. Most hernias are a result of weakened abdominal wall. Thus, the tissues lose their ability to contain the organ, resulting in the descend of the organ in the abdominal cavity. Hernias are classified according to their location. Femoral hernia, is a type of hernia which occurs on the upper inner thigh, near groin.

Causes

Femoral hernia is a type of hernia in which a part of intestine sticks out of the abdominal cavity and enters the femoral canal, near the thigh. Femoral canal is the canal through which major blood vessels supply the blood to the legs. The protrusion of intestine is due to the inability of the abdominal wall to hold the intestine firmly in place. The weakening of tissues may be caused due to several reasons. The most common cause is due to persistent coughing or straining of the muscles in the concerned area. Continuous infliction of strain on the abdominal wall causes the tissues to lose their strength, which eventually leads to hernia.

Symptoms

Femoral hernia symptoms in women and men are pretty similar. However, women are four times more likely to suffer from this problem due to their wider pelvic region. Given below are some symptoms of femoral hernia.

Lump or Bulge
A grape sized lump near the groin region on the upper inner thigh is the first thing you will notice, if you have femoral hernia. The lump is the result when the part of intestine or other organs are pushed out of the abdominal cavity. The bulge gradually increases in size, as the hernia progresses. Treatment is necessary as the hernia is not likely to heal on its own.

Pain
Femoral hernia is often associated with pain in the groin region. When the part of the intestine projects out of the abdominal wall, it creates a hole in the abdominal wall. The damaged abdominal wall induces pain, which can be localized or generalized. The pain can be dull, sharp or throbbing, depending upon the extent of damage.

Vomiting/ Nausea
If the intestine gets caught in the hernia, then the normal flow of the food may be obstructed leading to a condition called incarceration. This results in back flow of the food, causing vomiting and nausea. Sometimes, the part of the intestine may get twisted with other organ, leading to strangulation of the intestine. This condition needs immediate medical intervention as it leads to cutting down of blood supply to the intestine.

Constipation
The hernia traps the intestine, thereby obstructing the normal flow of food. As a result, the fecal matter also gets blocked inside the hernia. This leads to constipation and other bowel problems.

Other symptoms

• Painful intercourse in case of women, accompanied with burning near the entrance of the vagina.
• Urinary problems such as urinary hesitancy, urinary frequency, burning, infections, bladder stones.
• Impotence in men (inability to develop and sustain erection).
• Inflammation of the skin around the bulge.

Femoral hernia symptoms are easy to spot which makes it possible to initiate treatment, without delay. The treatment basically aims at pushing back the contents in the abdominal cavity. The treatment is mostly successful, without recurrence of femoral hernia.