You may have pain in your groin that comes and goes. Or you may have pain in your abdomen along with acid reflux. These are symptoms of a hernia.
You’ve heard of hernias, but you may not be sure what they are. There are several types of hernias, but the most common is an inguinal hernia, which comes with groin pain. But if you suffer from frequent acid reflux, heartburn, and chest or abdominal pain, you may have a hiatal hernia.
At Turnquest Surgical Solutions, our board-certified bariatric surgeons, Dexter Turnquest, MD, and Victoria C. Chang, MD, treat many patients with hernias.
Not all hernias require surgery, but some do. If your hernia is causing pain and other symptoms, it’s time to visit a bariatric surgeon. Untreated hernias have hidden risks of serious complications.
Have you done heavy lifting for your job or enjoy weightlifting as a sport? Are you obese or do you suffer from chronic constipation? Are you pregnant or were you pregnant in the past?
All of these are risk factors for developing an inguinal or hiatal hernia, and each of these factors places excess pressure on structures inside your body.
If you have an inguinal hernia, you’ve put undue pressure on your abdominal wall, weakening it. Your small intestine or another organ can push through the abdominal wall around your groin, creating an inguinal hernia.
If you have a hiatal hernia, your stomach pushes through your diaphragm, which lies between your chest and abdomen.
Serious and potentially fatal complications can arise from untreated inguinal and hiatal hernias, including:
If you have a strangulated inguinal hernia, soft tissue such as part of your intestines pushes through your abdominal wall, where it swells and becomes stuck.
Similarly, if you have a strangulated hiatal hernia, some of your stomach pushes through the chest cavity and becomes trapped.
The trapped tissue of an inguinal hernia has no blood supply. The intestine or soft tissue that’s been trapped begins to die, which can lead to a life-threatening infection called peritonitis.
Similarly, if you have a strangulated hiatal hernia, some of your stomach pushes through the chest cavity and becomes trapped, and the tissue can begin to die. You’re at risk of life-threatening infection.
Chronic constipation can be frustrating, and it can lead to a hernia that obstructs your intestine so your food waste cannot pass through your system normally.
You experience pain, nausea, and vomiting. The obstruction can lead to strangulated tissue and eventually sepsis, a life-threatening infection.
Hiatal hernias can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, causing heartburn, pain, and other symptoms. You may also develop internal bleeding.
Acid reflux and GERD can lead to pneumonia from lung irritation.
In men, if you see a bulge or have pain in your groin, please call our office for an appointment. A hernia may be pushing against your scrotum. Women can get inguinal hernias too. Don’t wait until your groin pain is an emergency.
If you have painful acid reflux, heartburn, or pain in your stomach, groin, or abdomen, call us at one of our Houston, Texas, locations or request an appointment online today.
