Different
Types of Hernias That Affect Males
As mentioned in Are
Breast / Genital Exams Necessary For Sports Physicals?,
hernia / genital exam should not be required for sports physicals.
“Hernia exams should only be done
when the history indicates a possible problem. The NCAA 2008-09
Sports Manual doesn’t even mention the word hernia. There
is no other need for genital exams to play sports. Given the
total lack of evidence that routine intimate exams add to the
safety of participants, the regular use of these exams should
be abandoned.” (Source: Sports
Physicals Are They Needlessly Embarrassing? By Dr. Joel Sherman).
Small hernias can usually be left alone unless they cause pain.
Congenital inguinal hernia
- "A congenital
inguinal hernia occurs to newborn babies and is a congenital
defect which cannot be prevented. When a male baby is being
formed in the womb the testicles are formed inside the abdominal
cavity. They move down through the abdominal cavity through
an opening into the groin and then end up in the scrotal sac.
The opening is called the inguinal canal and will close up once
the testicles have dropped in the fetus's eight month. The cord
that is attached to the testicles and the veins supplying the
blood into the testicles pass through the canal and are completely
fused where the opening used to be. The abdominal wall becomes
separated from the scrotum area by the peritoneum. If the fusion
is incomplete at birth, then the baby will have a congenital
inguinal hernia. Sometimes the hole is big enough that the intestines
will pop through the peritoneum into to the scrotum. You will
notice in your baby a small swelling or protrusion of a soft
lump into the groin area, especially when they are crying, coughing
or straining." (Source:
Inguinal Hernia) Most boys and parents are well
aware of congenital hernias long before a child plays sports
and would be a part of their medical history that may affect
sports but most likely would not.
Inguinal hernia - It
is a hernia that occurs when the membrane that separates the
abdominal cavity that holds the intensities breaks open and
allows protrusions into the groin region. The cause of the hernia
is usually related to a weakness of the peritoneum which separates
the abdominal cavity from the groin area. The peritoneum will
stretch and rupture, usually from lifting something heavy or
straining. When a hole occurs in the peritoneum the intestines
or bowels can be pushed through the opening down into the groin.
You will feel a soft lump; which may be painful or may not.
Usually there is more pain if you stretch, cough, laugh, lift
something heavy or strain yourself in any way. (Source:
Inguinal
Hernia)
It is pretty easy for a boy to tell if he has
a hernia without a doctor's help. Adolescent boys should be
taught to self-examine for testicular lumps and hernias and
if they have a problem, they can always go to see a doctor.
Kids will know if they have a hernia if it is significant. If
it is too small for them to notice, nothing need be done unless
they have some pain. Small hernias can usually be left alone.
Check out the following articles about how you can determine
if you have a hernia: How
to Check for a Hernia and How
to Tell If You Have an Inguinal Hernia.
Sports hernia - This
type of hernia occurs with the weakening of the muscles or tendons
in a thin region of the abdominal wall. Once overexerted, a
muscle tear occurs inside the groin. The overexertion occurs
because of a losing battle with the adductor muscles of the
thigh. The oblique muscles attach at the pubis in the groin.
When contracting, they pull up on the pubis as the trunk flexes
and rotates. Adductor muscles also attach at the pubis. The
muscles pull on the pelvis from below as they work to move the
femur medially toward the body. When both oblique muscles and
adductor muscles contract at the same time, a tug-of-war of
the pelvis ensues. Because athletes tend to focus on strengthening
the lower body more so than the trunk, the adductor muscles
are typically stronger. As a result the weaker oblique muscles
tear, resulting in a sports hernia. A sports hernia is probably
the least understood of all the injuries that involve professional
level and collegiate level athletes. A sports hernia is a tear
to the oblique abdominal muscles. Unlike a traditional
hernia, the sports hernia does not create a hole in abdominal
wall. As a result, there is no visible bulge under the skin.
This means making a definitive sports hernia diagnosis is difficult.
(Source:
Understanding the Often Misunderstood and Misdiagnosed Sports
Hernia)
"A sports hernia rarely causes any visible bulge
in the muscle wall, so it is often overlooked for some time
before it is diagnosed. The most common symptom of a sports
hernia is a dull, aching pain in the lower abdomen or groin
that gradually increases in severity. This pain generally increases
with exercise or activities such as running or weight lifting."
(Source:
What is a Sports Hernia) A
hernia check at a physical exam cannot help to find a sports
hernia. A sports hernia is found based on a guy's complaint
of pain in the groin and abdomen.
Other Related Articles:
Are
Breast / Genital Exams Necessary for Sports Physicals?
Unnecessary
Breast / Genital Exams in Sports Physicals - Video
Tips
For Parents of Teenage Children
Sources:
Sports Physicals Are They Needlessly Embarrassing? By Dr. Joel
Sherman
Inguinal
Hernia
How
to Check for a Hernia
How
to Tell If You Have an Inguinal Hernia
Understanding
the Often Misunderstood and Misdiagnosed Sports Hernia
What
is a Sports Hernia
|
