Also called: Enterocele
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Hernia
A hernia happens when part of an internal organ or tissue bulges through a weak area of muscle. Most hernias are in the abdomen.
There are several types of hernias, including:
- Inguinal, in the groin. This is the the most common type.
- Umbilical, around the belly button
- Incisional, through a scar
- Hiatal, a small opening in the diaphragm that allows the upper part of the stomach to move up into the chest.
- Congenital diaphragmatic, a birth defect that needs surgery
Hernias are common. They can affect men, women, and children. A combination of muscle weakness and straining, such as with heavy lifting, might contribute. Some people are born with weak abdominal muscles and may be more likely to get a hernia.
Treatment is usually surgery to repair the opening in the muscle wall. Untreated hernias can cause pain and health problems.
It sits within Digestive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Hernia
2,183 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- GORE® ENFORM Biomaterial Product StudyW.L.Gore & Associates
- Biologic Injection For Adults With Lumbar Disc HerniationWeill Medical College of Cornell University
- Taping for Umbilical HerniaUniversity Children's Hospital, Zurich
- Reversing InGuinal Hernia Trial: The Evaluation of Sex Hormones to Reverse Inguinal Hernias in MalesNorthwestern University
- Comparing the Incidence of Parastomal Hernia After Mesenteric Molding Suturing and Non-molding Suturing in Colostomy SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University
- "Lumbar Operatively Inserted PerQdisc Artificial Implant Following Nulcectomy" (LOPAIN2)Spinal Stabilization Technologies
Research already completed
- Comparison the Analgesic Efficacy of Ultrasonographic Bilateral TAP and Anesthetic Infiltration Into the Surgery Field for Laparoscopic Unilateral TEP HerniorrhaphyBaşakşehir Çam & Sakura City Hospital
- The Plastic Covering Method for Self-gripping Mesh Placement in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia RepairMahidol University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Symptoms
- Battling a Bulging Hernia: Don't Ignore Your Groin PainNational Institutes of Health
Treatments and Therapies
- Inguinal Hernia Repair SurgerySociety of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
- Surgical Mesh Used for Hernia RepairFood and Drug Administration
- Ventral Hernia Repair SurgerySociety of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
Related Issues
- Sports Hernia (Athletic Pubalgia)American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Treating and Preventing Sports HerniasAmerican Osteopathic Association
Genetics
- Abdominal wall defect: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: HerniaNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hernia, DiaphragmaticNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hernia, InguinalNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hernia, UmbilicalNational Institutes of Health
Teenagers
- HerniasNemours Foundation
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Hernia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Hernia, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.