Hernia Diagnosis
Diagnosis of hernia is by clinical methods and investigations are done for a preoperative work up.
A physical exam is usually all that's needed to diagnose an inguinal hernia. A doctor can confirm the presence of a hernia during a physical exam. He usually will ask the patient to stand and cough and feel for the impulse of the hernia in the groin. The hernia first appears as a bulge in the groin or abdomen. The bulge may appear and disappear or may be present all the time.
The mass may increase in size on coughing, bending, lifting, or straining. The hernia (bulge) may not be obvious in infants and children, except when the child is crying or coughing.
