Health Tools

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

	Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.
	Inguinal Hernia: Should I Have Surgery Now, or Should I Wait?
	Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
	Back Problems: Proper Lifting

Cause

Inguinal hernias, which occur when tissue bulges through the abdominal muscles and into the groin, are caused by:

• An opening in the passage from the abdomen to the genitals (called the inguinal canal) that should close before birth but does not.
• Abdominal muscles that are weakened by aging and the daily wear and tear of life.

Conditions that increase pressure within the abdominal cavity, such as frequent coughing or being overweight, may contribute to the development of hernias.

A femoral hernia, sometimes mistaken for an inguinal hernia, occurs when tissue bulges from the lower abdomen into the upper thigh, just below the groin crease. The cause of a femoral hernia is often difficult to determine.

If you do not have an inguinal hernia, you may have one of the other common types of hernia. These include incisional, epigastric, and umbilical hernias in children and adults.