Inguinal hernia in men: symptoms, treatment methods

Inguinal hernia in men is a pathology in which organs that are localized in the abdominal cavity go beyond it through the inguinal canal. Its symptoms are quite similar to other diseases of the genitourinary organs. Correct diagnosis will save you from complications.

Causes

According to statistics, inguinal hernia is more than 70% of all cases of detection of external abdominal hernias. Depending on the development, inguinal hernia is divided into two main types: congenital and acquired. The congenital type occupies 15% of the total number of inguinal hernias. In children, this type of hernia occurs in 90% of cases. The cause of this disease in children is the formation of the vaginal process when the testicle is lowered into the scrotum. This process prevents the abdominal cavity from completely closing, which contributes to the development of a hernia.

The acquired type of hernia is characteristic of adults, but is rarely found in children. By their structure, such hernias are divided into oblique and straight. The formation of a hernia is facilitated by both predisposing factors and producing factors.

Predisposing factors are:

• a tendency to form inguinal hernias (determined by the presence of these hernias in the genus);
• old age (the protective function of muscles decreases, which increases the risk of hernia formation).

The causative factors are:

• high loads on the body;
• persistent and prolonged constipation;
• persistent cough;
• difficulty urinating.

Symptoms

The fact is that the symptoms of inguinal hernia in men can manifest both slowly and relatively quickly. Tumors in the groin can be of different sizes, so they say that the signs of manifestation are individual for everyone, and this is indeed so.

One of the first symptoms of an inguinal hernia in men is a tumor in the groin area. It turns out that the hernial sac begins to inflate, which in the early stages does not greatly affect neighboring organs. That is why in 70% of cases they simply do not feel it. Inguinal hernia can also be detected by the fact that with physical exertion on the stomach, dull, aching pains begin to be felt.

Many people take the symptoms of inguinal hernia in men as a banal stretch, but it’s worthwhile to carefully examine everything, since a hernia in any place is not a joke, and even less so in the groin. With an inguinal hernia, which reaches a large size, the walking process is hampered, unnatural dysuric disorders occur, caused by the pressure of the bag on the bladder, the cessation of gas production. Also, with a sharp and heavy load on the bag, hernia can be injured. This process leads to the appearance of nausea, vomiting, and an increase in acute pain in the lower abdomen.

Classification

Inguinal hernia is classified by the type of education:

1. The first type includes oblique hernias. In this case, the inguinal ring does not expand, and protrusion is observed from the inner ring of the abdominal region to a third of the inguinal canal.
2. The second type includes oblique hernias, characterized by a significant expansion of the inner part of the inguinal ring. In this case, the hernial sac reaches the scrotum. A protrusion occurs during straining of the abdomen in the groin area.
3. The third type is divided into several subtypes:

• Direct - these are all types of hernias that form when the integrity of the wall of the inguinal canal is violated due to weakening of the abdominal muscles.
• Oblique is a large hernia, occupying not only the inguinal region, but also the abdominal. With this hernia, destruction of both the anterior and posterior walls of the inguinal canal is observed. The inner ring is enlarged.
• The hips.
• Recurrent type. This type is divided into several subtypes: straight, oblique, femoral.
• This type is characterized by a combination of several types of hernias. Relapse of the disease is detected with the repeated formation of a hernia at the site of its treatment.

Relapse is much more difficult to treat than the initially diagnosed disease. Depending on the volume occupied, four degrees of hernia are distinguished:

• First degree. At this degree, inguinal hernia in men, the photos of which show the severity of the disease, is at the level of the inner part of the inguinal ring.
• Second degree. At this degree, the hernia becomes of such a size that it can sink into the inguinal canal.
• Third degree. This degree is characterized by the achievement of a hernia in the outer part of the inguinal ring.
• The fourth degree is characterized by the achievement of a hernia of the scrotal area.

Details of each type

Oblique inguinal hernia is more common in children and adolescents. It can be either congenital or acquired. Its location is above the inguinal line. She is always directed in one direction. An oblique inguinal hernia can have either an oblong or oval shape.

A direct inguinal appearance is found in men, mainly elderly and senile, weakened and emaciated, while it cannot be congenital. The formation is also located above the inguinal fold and in most cases does not descend into it. Direct inguinal hernia has a bilateral direction.

Femoral hernia, as a rule, is always acquired and is located below the inguinal fold. Diagnosis of inguinal hernia in men is not difficult, which is why it is carried out and ends in a short time. And indeed, even an inexperienced physician will be able to identify her, of course, if she is in good condition. But there are cases when the hernia is in a hanging position, then they specially create the conditions for its detection to make sure either the presence or absence of this unpleasant disease.

There are several proven methods for detecting a hernia in men. To identify inguinal, you may need a simple visit to a special doctor, who will reveal what kind of disease you really have. In order to examine yourself for a hernia from the inside, you need to do an ultrasound of the abdomen. This method is more practical, since it occurs with a direct vision of the situation in the inner world of a person.

Survey by a surgeon is the most effective method, however, it may require an ultrasound, so before you go to a surgeon, it is better to go through it in advance. The surgeon is already engaged in the direct determination of the type of tumor: oblique, combined and direct. After this procedure, the specialist prescribes the time of the operation and begins preparations for it.

Complications

This disease is more common in men than in women. Therefore, characteristic complications are often described precisely on the male example. Below are the main types of complications that can lead to inguinal hernia in men.

A hernia is a kind of saccular tumor. There is a type of complication such as infringement. When an inguinal hernia is infringed, an organ close to it can enter the bag, which, when squeezed, can cause the death of its cells, and as a result of the organ itself. An unfortunate phenomenon such as peritonitis can also be caused by this disease. After all, after the organ enters the inguinal hernia, it is squeezed, while it can overflow with blood and burst. A very sad picture, since people who were not given timely medical attention most often die.

But do not think that only organs can get into the bag. Intestines can also get into it. This very dangerous phenomenon is called caprostasis. This is a very long delay of feces in the intestine, which can lead to its rupture. Without timely medical assistance, a person may not survive. A hernia can also take away the most expensive that a man has - the seminal function. This phenomenon is called ischemic orchitis. In the process of its manifestation, it is followed by inflammation of the male testicle, which is caused by insufficient blood circulation.

Surgery

Inguinal hernia is a very serious disease, and if left untreated, it can lead to a number of serious complications. Treatment with folk remedies only helps to maintain the body normal, and drug treatment generally only anesthetizes. But there is another way, and it is the most important. This is a surgical intervention. In almost all cases, this method is used. It provides a complete and final recovery.

Surgical Methods

There are several ways to treat an inguinal hernia in men (surgery). The method that works most efficiently is called hernia repair. Before prescribing an operation, the doctor may ask about the appearance of a hernia, how long it was noticed by a person, whether it has happened before, on which medications there is an allergy, whether there are any frequent diseases, whether there were pains in the place of swelling and other similar questions.

This will help the surgeon to determine how urgent an intervention the disease of this patient requires in order to prescribe either an emergency or a planned operation. Anesthesia for surgery is chosen individually for each person, taking into account his allergic reactions and chronic diseases.

The operation itself takes place in several ways, because doctors need to take into account the age and possible complications, as well as the stage of tumor development:

• The first method of an operation to remove an inguinal hernia in men is Bassini's plastic surgery. This method is more often referred to as plastic surgeries, which use human own tissues. The operation takes place in several stages, but always came down to three main provisions. The first thing a surgeon needs to do, already directly controlling the process, is to move the spermatic cord to take the next step. Then he creates the inguinal canal, while moving all the organs to their place. And at the final stages, the inguinal canal is closed with muscles, gradually suturing the fascia.
• The second method is endoscopic hernioplasty. Access to the inguinal canal is carried out by the laparoscopic method. The surgeon forms the posterior wall of the inguinal canal using a two-layer polypropylene implant. The adoption of the implant occurs gradually, most often after suturing.

Therapy

Medication without inguinal hernia surgery in men is ineffective. More precisely, this method does not work at all. But the point is not even in the drugs, but in those who prescribe them. Knowingly knowing that the medicine does not act as a direct treatment, but only only dull the pain for a while, doctors continue to prescribe entire courses of such drugs for use without surgery. This is a kind of unprofessionalism. Perhaps they do not even know that such methods cannot give positive results at all, but only, on the contrary, worsen the situation.

Science abandoned such funds as unnecessary, since the tumor is not treated from the inside. It does not have direct contact with the organs where the drugs settle, which is why they act either weakly or not at all. But late treatment with existing methods can affect complications in the male reproductive system and contribute to the occurrence of peritonitis. New, unpleasant diseases form on this basis, and all this happens through the fault of qualified specialists. Therefore, be careful about each step, this will help to remain whole, unharmed and healthy.

Alternative treatment

Since inguinal hernia is a common phenomenon today, everyone uses the services of doctors and does not even think that you can get rid of it in the early stages by resorting to the use of folk remedies. The main methods of treating inguinal hernia in men without surgery, which have proven to be popular among people, are presented below.

One of the simplest and most common types of treatment is compresses. This is really the easiest way, because for it you do not need to carry out any special procedures. To use this method, you just need to apply the prepared compress to the site of swelling using a conventional medical patch.

For this kind of procedure, herbs are used. Here are some of the most effective:

• Hernia grass. It has a pretty good effect. Take a handful of grass and steam for ten minutes, then grind with a knife or blender and attach to the tumor, and then tie up to make it possible to move. The procedure is repeated once a day for two weeks.
• Nettle leaves Nettle is a universal remedy for the treatment of diseases; it can even cure a hernia. To prepare a compress, you need to pick ten leaves of fresh nettle and chop. After this, mix with sour cream and apply the solution to the place where the hernia appeared. Next, cover with a sheet of cabbage and tie up. The course of treatment is one month. The procedure is carried out once a day.

Also, a popular way of treatment is tinctures and decoctions. They are made more difficult, but the justification for this is efficiency. Decoctions for oral administration include anti-inflammatory, soothing and analgesic substances, which prevents the hernia from developing further and prevents its activity altogether.

Here are some examples of decoctions:

• Clover is both a livestock feed and a medicine for humans. You need to pour boiling water over the top of the flower in a glass (you need one tablespoon). Next, put the glass in a steam bath for four hours. Cool and take three times a day for about a month.
• Cornflower also has miraculous properties. Pour a tablespoon of grass on a faceted glass with boiled water and leave to cool. After the mixture has cooled, you need to properly strain. Then use once a day for a teaspoon. The course of treatment is 1 month.

Prevention

In order to avoid cases of inguinal hernia, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• Abdominal pressure rises due to rash physical exertion, persistent constipation, severe obesity, and coughing.
• Before starting physical activity, you need to tie a belt to strengthen the inguinal walls of the abdominal cavity.
• It should be wise to exercise.
• Avoid abrupt and unnatural movements that put pressure on the inguinal canal. This is especially true for men.
• Do not take on a load that is not justified by forces.
• If a person has constant constipation, then it is necessary to regularly use laxatives, which will reduce the load on the body.
• If a severe chronic cough develops, then it is better to treat immediately. After all, from him there are severe inguinal consequences. Cough sharply strains inguinal muscles, and if you are prone to a hernia, then this will lead to it.

To determine inguinal hernia in men, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis, which includes consulting a specialist, namely a surgeon. After, in his direction, the following procedures are carried out: irrigoscopy, herniography and ultrasound of the scrotum together with the inguinal canals. And only after that, an inguinal hernia operation in men is prescribed, reviews of which should not scare the patient, because 99% of all interventions are successful.