Probable Inquinal Hernia - Weight Loss Question Posted: 04-10-07 11:51am
I think I have an inguinal hernia.
Strangely enough, my dad has the same
symptoms as me, and just got back from a
specialist who was able to detect it, it
as very small and his regular physician
wasn't able to find it. Ironically I may
be in the same boat.
About 5 weeks ago I was sweeping snow with
a push broom and a few hours later out of
knowhere my right testicle was in pain.
Not excruciating, but I have a high pain
tolerance it seems. After 3 days of
constant pain, I saw my doctor. I hadn't
been for a visit because I am in-between
jobs right now and uninsured, the one
thing we hadn't done yet was a groin exam
as part of a physical. I was worried it
might be cancer becasue of the
localization of the pain - solely in the
testicle. I was examined and no hernia
was found, so I guess it could have been a
slight tear. We did a uninalysis for
infection which came back negative. As
prescribed, I took Ibruprofen for a week,
and the pain seemed to go away.
But, it've felt the pain recurring in
different areas near my lower groin. I've
been taking things light physically, but
it's been 5 weeks and I still have a pain
right near my scrotum on the right-hand
side. Some days I feel nothing, other
days I feel a pain up higher. Not
constant like before, more intermittent.
Listening to my dad describe the exact
same sympoms and location makes me think I
have the same thing.
My dillema is I am unisured for the moment
and that may change in a month or two. If
the injury is so light that my doctor
didn't find it in an exam and I don't even
feel pain some days, could I get by for a
while taking it easy and avoid
complications as it seems to be mild?
A sortof complication/theory is I am a big
man, 6'3", I was almost 400 pounds last
july, I have been mainly dieting and
occasionally exercising (battling one
injury after another) and am down to 320
pounds. I am determined to get to 220
pounds and am staying on track. But I've
notice while losing weight my
(stomach/abdomen - I'll call it "gut") has
shrunken and now rests differently than it
did when I was heavier. I think I got
this injury because my gut is moving
differently when I do things like
shoveling snow. I wonder what will happen
as I continue to lose weight and my gut
shrinks. If I am careful, will this minor
hernia go away? If I keep exercising on
light walks/hikes, will it worsen? I am
extremely good at listening to my body and
am familiar with good diet and exercise
from stretching - I teach martial arts.
I can't find any information relating
obesity/weight-loss to hernia. So the
question bugs me. I have all this mass,
mainly fat, some skin and muscle, that has
stretched the tissue of my body. As all
of that compacts and shrinks and goes
away, how would a minor hernia injury
progress?
Also, is there a chance that it is not
hernia and just a bad tear that should
mend? Like I said, it hasnt gone away in
5 weeks but at times I haven't noticed it
and the pain has moved a bit. Sould I
take a regimen of iburpofen for another
week? My doctor told me not t go more
than 8 days straight.
Thanks for any insight.
|
Artie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 31
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hernia - weight loss Posted: 07-02-08 09:34am
I lost around 25 lbs in 2007 due to
anorexia...and developed bilateral hernia
(both sides). I know of someone else who
crash dieted (NOT due to anorexia) and
developed a hernia.
I spoke to a doc friend and have seen
several websites about this. Yes, extreme,
rapid weight loss can indeed cause hernias
to appear.
When you diet you are losing muscle bulk
as well as fat. The muscle tissue may get
weaker, and if a hernia is sitting there
quietly, waiting to happen, bingo (you
have to be pre-disposed to it, of course).
Also there is a layer of fat (called
"omentum") protecting the lower ab
muscles. If that cushioning layer
diminishes, the muscle probably becomes
more vulnerable to tears.
A recent Swedish study showed that obese
and heavy men were much LESS likely to
develop hernias (!). I know about 20
people (including a couple of women)
who've had, or now have, hernias. Almost
ALL of them are either thin, or VERY thin.
Coincidence?
My hernia symptoms, usually very mild,
also "come & go", as they often do in
the early stages (apparently sometimes for
years). The bulge is not ALWAYS present.
One doc says I have it on the left,
another doesn't. Get it checked out.
By the way, doc's don't always push
immediate surgery anymore. Lately more
& more doc's are recommending
"watchful waiting" because of the risks of
various surgical complications (there was
a major study about this released in
2006). However do see a doctor, and all
the best of luck.