What causes an inguinal hernia? ... An inguinal hernia usually occurs when fatty tissue or a part of your bowel, such as the intestine, pokes through into your ...SkiptomaincontentHomeHealthAtoZBacktoHealthAtoZOverview-InguinalherniarepairContentsOverviewHowit'sperformedRecoveryAherniaoccurswhenaninternalpartofthebodypushesthroughaweaknessinthemuscleorsurroundingtissuewall.Yourmusclesareusuallystrongandtightenoughtokeepyourintestinesandorgansinplace,but aherniacandevelopifthereareanyweakspots.Whatisaninguinalhernia?Aninguinal(pronounced"ingwinal")herniaisthemostcommontypeofhernia.Itcanappearasaswellingorlumpinyourgroin,orasanenlargedscrotum(thepouchcontainingthetesticles).Theswellingmaybepainful.Thelumpoftenappearswhenyou'reliftingsomething anddisappearswhenyouliedown.Forinformationonothertypesofhernia,see:femoralherniahiatusherniaumbilicalherniaWhatcausesaninguinalhernia?Aninguinalherniausuallyoccurswhenfattytissueorapartofyourbowel,suchastheintestine,pokesthroughintoyourgroinatthetopofyourinnerthigh.Itpushesthroughaweakspotinthesurroundingmusclewall(theabdominalwall)intoanareacalledtheinguinalcanal.Inguinalherniasoccurmainlyinmen.Mostarethoughttoresultfromageing,althoughtheycanoccuratanyage.Thisisbecauseasyougetolder,themusclessurroundingyourabdomen(tummy) canbecomeweaker.Inguinalherniascansometimesappearsuddenlyafterputtingpressureontheabdomen,suchasstrainingonthetoiletifyouhaveconstipation orcarryingandpushingheavyloads.Theyhavealsobeenlinkedtohavingapersistent, heavycough.Whenissurgeryneeded?Inguinalherniascanberepairedusingsurgerytopushthebulgebackintoplaceandstrengthentheweaknessintheabdominalwall.Theoperationisusually recommendedifyouhaveaherniathatcausespain, severeorpersistentsymptoms,orifanyseriouscomplicationsdevelop.Complicationsthatcandevelopasaresultofaninguinalherniainclude:obstruction–whereasectionofthebowelbecomesstuckintheinguinalcanal,causingnausea,vomitingandstomachpain,aswellasapainfullumpinthegroinstrangulation–whereasectionofbowelbecomestrapp