Dr. Esteban Kosak 
Abdominal hernias are among the most frequent reasons for people to get surgery. Approximately one million surgeries for repairing abdominal hernias take place each year in the United States.
A hernia is a name doctors use when there is an abnormal movement of an organ or tissue from one place in the body to another, where it should not be. These body parts that are moving are generally contained inside a sac-like structure. Hernias occur in the abdomen most of the time, although it is also possible in different body locations.
The abdominal wall goes from the chest to the groin. In there, several types of hernias could exist. However, four places are pretty common for them to appear. For example, the commonest place is the groin, which accounts for the inguinal hernia; then, three other common places are around the belly button (umbilical), below the breastbone (epigastric), and in the upper portion of the thigh (femoral). There are other types of hernias as people who have them at birth (congenital hernias) or appear after a surgical wound after surgery (incisional hernias).
Despite that depending on the hernia’s location and the patient’s background, some symptoms could vary. The hernia symptoms are overall alike. Therefore, it is possible to identify most of the hernias by the symptoms and physical examination. It is also probable to find some of its two bigger complications, such as bowel incarceration and/or strangulation.
Abdominal hernias could yield significant complications. They could turn themselves into life-threatening situations as bowel obstruction or peritonitis. It is important to diagnose this disease early on its course for a closer medical follow-up plus surgery whenever necessary and convenient.
For fixing hernias, there are many types of surgeries available nowadays. Still, people need to attend to be assessed completely for securing a successful surgery. If a patient has surgery as an emergency due to a hernia complication, the likelihood of having difficulties afterward substantially increases.
This tool is an Abdominal Hernia Symptoms Checker. It gathers the most important signs, symptoms, and risk factors for this disease.
Although for diagnosing this disease, it is necessary an adequate assessment by a general surgeon. Three out of every four patients with an abdominal hernia will have an inguinal hernia, which is in the groin. When umbilical hernias are added up, both account for nearly nine of every ten patients with an abdominal hernia. Consequently, this tool will focus on identifying these two types of hernia.
This tool gathers questions that aim to find the most important symptoms, signs, and risk factors for an inguinal and umbilical hernia. So, the tool will tell anybody who uses it the likelihood of having symptoms and risk factors of an abdominal hernia.
Keep in mind that the tool does not replace at any moment a surgeon assessment. It also does not substitute all the necessary blood and imaging exams to discard any other underlying disease that could mimic an abdominal hernia. Hence, the tool will only talk about the likelihood of someone having this disease.
Using this tool is free and would only take you a few minutes.
- Question of
Do you are a male?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have less than five or more than sixty years?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you cough every day or nearly every day? (Click yes if this has been happening for more than three months?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have been diagnosed with liver or heart failure?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you currently are under peritoneal dialysis?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
When you were born, did your birth was before the thirty-seven pregnancy weeks or did your weight at birth was below 2500 grams?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have been diagnosed with any of these diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fetal hydantoin syndrome, Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, Hunter-Hurler syndrome, Kniest syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Morquio syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy, or Scheie syndrome?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have obesity? (please search in google the “BMI formula,” and with your weight and height it will calculate you that diagnosis)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
When you defecate, do you strain, or is there a need to push?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
When you urinate, do you strain, or is there a need to push?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does anybody in your family has been diagnosed with abdominal hernias?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does your work involve lifting heavy-weight?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a bulge/bump/growth in your groin or belly button? (The bulge could be either in your right/left or both groins; also, it could be in your belly button)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does this bulge/bump/growth is always there without any straining or physical effort?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does this bulge/bump/growth mostly appear when you are making a physical effort? (Physical exertion includes any situation in which there is the straining of muscles, as it could also be a cough, straining while urinating or defecating)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does this bulge/bump/growth mostly cause you pain when you are making a physical effort? (Physical exertion includes any situation in which there is the straining of muscles, as it could also be a cough, straining while urinating or defecating)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does this bulge/bump/growth mostly appear when you stand up straight?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have swelling and/or fullness in the bulge/bump/growth area?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a bulge on either side of your scrotum? (The scrotum is the bag of skin that holds and helps to protect the testicles)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Did you have a bulge/bump/growth in the groin or belly button that now is bigger and/or painful?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have nausea and/or vomiting?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a fever? (preferably use a thermometer which needs to shows more than 101,3 °F or touch your forehead and determine if the temperature is increased)
- Yes
- No
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