How Hernias Present in Women

Sports hernias can cause severe bouts of abdominal and pelvic pain. If you have female biology, it may be hard for your healthcare provider to diagnose a hernia. It may take months or years for you to get the correct diagnosis.

Hernias occur when part of the abdominal wall becomes thin, weak, or separated. That lets your internal organs push through.

This article looks at how hernia symptoms are different in biological females and how hernias are diagnosed and treated.

Hernia Symptoms

Healthcare providers are used to hernias that cause a bulge. In those with female biology, hernias are often smaller and deeper in the body. That makes them less visible.

Your hernias may cause chronic, deep pelvic pain. You may also have a stabbing pain that comes on quickly and lingers.

Research suggests these symptoms often point healthcare providers in the wrong direction. That leads to misdiagnoses, such as:

• Endometriosis
• Cysts in the reproductive organs
• Fibroid tumors

Diagnosis

Knowing your symptoms may be unusual can help you get a correct diagnosis easier. Be as specific as you can when describing your hernia pain. It may be:

• Burning
• Pinching
• Shooting

A good description means it's more likely that your healthcare provider will look in the right direction. It also helps to explain when it started and what makes it worse.

Hernias often get worse with:

• Exercise
• Lifting weights
• Coughing
• Laughing
• Straining to defecate

To check for a hernia, your healthcare provider will feel for a hernia while you sit, stand, or cough.

They may order imaging, such as:

• Ultrasound
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Endoscopy (a camera on a flexible tube used to see inside your esophagus and stomach)

Treatment

It's typical to start with conservative hernia treatments. These include pain medications and physical therapy.

Physical therapists often use myofascial release techniques. That can ease muscle spasms that make hernia pain worse.

If that fails, laparoscopic surgery is an option. Its goal is to repair the weak area of your abdominal wall.

Most people heal quickly from this surgery. You may be back to your regular activities in a week or two.

Summary

Hernias are weak areas of the abdominal wall. The weakness lets organs protrude through it. People with female biology often have smaller, deeper hernias. Not all healthcare providers know this. So misdiagnoses are common.

Be specific about your pain and what makes it worse. That plus a physical exam and possibly imaging can get you diagnosed correctly.

Treatment is usually pain medicine, physical therapy, or surgery.

A Word From Verywell

If you've been diagnosed with something other than a hernia and treatments aren't working, suggest a hernia to your provider. The diagnostic process is fairly simple, so they can confirm or rule out a hernia without much trouble.