Inguinal hernia causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farima Kahe M.D. [2]

Overview

Common causes of inguinal hernia include combination of increased pressure within the abdomen and a pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall, chronic coughing or sneezing, heavy lifting such as weightlifting, abdominal wall defects and advanced age.

Causes

Life-threatening Causes

There are no life-threatening causes of inguinal hernia, however complications resulting from untreated inguinal hernia is common.

Common Causes

Inguinal hernia may be caused by:^[1]^[2]

Increased pressure within the abdomen
Pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall
Combination of increased pressure within the abdomen and a pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall
Repetitive straining during urination or bowel movements
Strenuous activity
Pregnancy
Chronic coughing or sneezing
Heavy lifting, such as weightlifting
Abdominal wall defects
Advanced age
Ascites
Connective tissue disorders
Cystic fibrosis
Prematurity
Positive family history
Shunt for hydrocephalus
Undescended testis

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	No underlying causes
Chemical/Poisoning	No underlying causes
Dental	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	No underlying causes
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	No underlying causes
Environmental	No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic	Ascites
Genetic	No underlying causes
Hematologic	No underlying causes
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	No underlying causes
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic	No underlying causes
Neurologic	No underlying causes
Nutritional/Metabolic	No underlying causes
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Pregnancy
Oncologic	No underlying causes
Ophthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose/Toxicity	No underlying causes
Psychiatric	No underlying causes
Pulmonary	Cystic fibrosis
Renal/Electrolyte	No underlying causes
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy	No underlying causes
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	No underlying causes
Urologic	Undescended testis
Miscellaneous	No underlying causes

Causes in Alphabetical Order

List the causes of the disease in alphabetical order. {{columns-list|

Increased pressure within the abdomen
Pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall
Combination of increased pressure within the abdomen and a pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall
Repetitive straining during urination or bowel movements
Strenuous activity
Pregnancy
Chronic coughing or sneezing
Heavy lifting, such as weightlifting
Abdominal wall defects
Advanced age
Ascites
Connective tissue disorders
Cystic fibrosis
Prematurity
Positive family history
Shunt for hydrocephalus
Undescended testis

References

↑ Jenkins JT, O’Dwyer PJ (2008). “Inguinal hernias”. BMJ. 336 (7638): 269–72. doi:10.1136/bmj.39450.428275.AD. PMC 2223000. PMID 18244999.
↑ Burcharth J, Pedersen M, Bisgaard T, Pedersen C, Rosenberg J (2013). “Nationwide prevalence of groin hernia repair”. PLoS ONE. 8 (1): e54367. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054367. PMC 3544713. PMID 23342139.

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[pmid18244999-1] Jenkins JT, O’Dwyer PJ (2008). “Inguinal hernias”. BMJ. 336 (7638): 269–72. doi:10.1136/bmj.39450.428275.AD. PMC 2223000. PMID 18244999.

[pmid23342139-2] Burcharth J, Pedersen M, Bisgaard T, Pedersen C, Rosenberg J (2013). “Nationwide prevalence of groin hernia repair”. PLoS ONE. 8 (1): e54367. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054367. PMC 3544713. PMID 23342139.

[1]

[2]