How would one know if they had a hernia?

i've already had a hernia operation when i was like 6(now im 17) and for the past two months or three, i've been going to the weight room at school getting in shape. Now, my mom just recently told me that i can't work out a lot because then i'll get another hernia. Is that true? and how would i know that i have one or not?

After my mom told me that, i've been noticing something pulsing down there and for a couple days i've been feeling sort of a cramp/pain that went on and off. But then again, i could be paranoid and the pulsing and cramp thing could just be in my mind being influenced by what my mom had said.

so....any thoughts. Can i really get another hernia?

I really wouldn't be able to tell you for certain whether it is a hernia or not, but it does kind of sound psychosomatic to me. It always seems to go that way...it only takes for someone to tell you that smelling burning feathers means you've got cancer before you start to smell burning feathers...

I think there should be a lump if you get one. I am pretty sure it would be pretty clear. I think it gets bigger when you stand up too. So if you standing up and theres a lump, go to the doctor. If not then I doubt you have any problem.

If you know your limit while lifting wieghts, you should have no problem working out all you want. It when you over do it that its a problem. You shouldn't be over doing it anyway, because even without a hernia you can hurt yourself.

i have one that i've aggravated a few times when working out, but the doctor tells me that it hasn't gotten large enough yet to worry about; he feels a surgeon would turn me away because it's too small. ironically enough, he claimed to have 'two hernias the size of baseballs' and hasn't had to have them operated on yet. i had no idea when i headed to the clinic that i would get to talk to captain hernia! i mean, OH MAN, how great is that? :eh:

anyway, i can't see it at all; i just know it's there because again i've aggravated it a couple times.

he told me i could keep working out, but that i should find exercises that don't aggravate it as much, and of course to take some time off if I do. i was fortunate enough to know right away which exercise did it--a back exercise, of course--so i found an alternative that works even better anyway.

ah, thanks guys :D

i feel more convinced that i dont have one

As for the working out thing, i certainly don't over do it. And I don't do particular excersizes that I believe will put too much stress on the area i had the operation on so i believe im all good :)

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Originally posted by nightowl
Can i really get another hernia?

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If you had one of the newer surgical techniques, either the PerFix Plug or the Kugel Patch, they say the chances the hernia will reoccur are less than 1%.

If you had one of the more conventional techniques, I'm not sure of the reoccurring rate for those.

im betting i had one of the older ones then since it was more than 10 years ago o-o

well guys...looks like i do have one after :(

Just yesterday during work i felt this pain on the right side of my lower abdomen(the area where my leg and torso is connected). It was enough pain to have me limp a little while walking and i couldn't do any sudden movements of turning my body.

Although the pain has subsided since then, i can now feel a very slight bump on one side and not on the other. It's not visibally noticable though, but when i run my hand over it, it hurts a little. Told my mom about it and she said if i feel pain again(which i know i will), then she'll set up an appoitment

thing is im extremely busy right now. Work every weekend, going on vacation in 2 weeks, SAT's the following week, Prom the week after and driving licsense test the next day after that, and then finals will be coming up. Plus other crap might be happening.

So, how long can i wait it off. I sorta want to wait untill schools over(june 29) but If its just going to get worse and going to make me pretty much incapable of walking or dancing(for prom) then i guess id want it asap.

advice?

i'd be surprised if you could get that immediately operated on anyway. i mean, i know nothing about the available health care in your area, but in mine there's generally a wait for non-critical surgery. i'd think at least a month, and if that was true for you, well you'd be out of this busy period then. :wink: (the majority of my fellow Canadians just don't get that a multi-tiered health care system involving both public and private facilities would be vastly superior to our dilapidated strictly-public health care system.)

again, my doctor told me just to wait it out and let it subside, avoiding strenuous activity during that period of course. i'd imagine the pain will go away within a week. if you're looking to put your mind at ease though, go see your doctor about it...you can get an opinion without needing to commit to anything if you haven't the time for surgery yet.