# Inguinal Hernia



## The Central Scrutinizer (7 Sep 2022)

I've been diagnosed with a inguinal hernia(groin hernia)and my wife is saying that climbing up hills could be putting pressure on the hernia and it might be better to concentrate on flat ground.
To be honest i've always liked climbing hills and i would be gutted if i couldn't.
Anyone got any thoughts on this?


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## Bazzer (7 Sep 2022)

What did the doctor who diagnosed advise, or is your wife medically trained?
With mine some years ago, the hospital doctor said to just carry on with life until he fixed it, IIRC the following month.


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## fossyant (7 Sep 2022)

Carry on. Essex and hills


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## Dogtrousers (7 Sep 2022)

My medically unqualified advice (from someone who has had a different kind of hernia) is to take things easy until it is all sorted out. You really don't want to go aggravating it. Listen to your doctors/other qualified medical people and when you're well again - that is the time to start making long term decisions.


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## Milkfloat (7 Sep 2022)

My son had one aged about 5 and was operated on within hours as an emergency procedure. I would be asking the doctor what is appropriate rather than people on a forum.


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## Rooster1 (7 Sep 2022)

The Central Scrutinizer said:


> I've been diagnosed with a inguinal hernia(groin hernia)and my wife is saying that climbing up hills could be putting pressure on the hernia and it might be better to concentrate on flat ground.
> To be honest i've always liked climbing hills and i would be gutted if i couldn't.
> Anyone got any thoughts on this?



I managed to get one of these after lifting a heavy machine into the back of my car. It was not caused by cycling. I would be very very surprised if this was caused by cycling. At the time, I was doing 1000ft climbs every day. I had to stop after the the operation, and I am now back on the bike and once again doing steep hills - no issue. 

In the end, I had to have an operation to fix it. I was supposed to have keyhole surgerym but ended up having a mesh.

Any questions, drop me a line.


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## Willd (7 Sep 2022)

Carry on as normal, as long as it's not uncomfortable  I have one too & the NHS no longer routinely fix them, advice was to put up with it or go private  No issues with cycling, careful with sneezing & heavy lifting though


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## Red17 (7 Sep 2022)

I had one fixed with mesh a couple of years ago. My doctors opinion was that normally he would advise living with it at my age ( late 50s then) but if I was active to get it fixed.


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## Arrowfoot (7 Sep 2022)

The condition is a consequence of some physical activity. It is not due to an infection.


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## wafter (7 Sep 2022)

I had one of these as a yoof; apparently as a consequence of having a job that involved lifting a lot of heavy stuff.

It seems to be caused by straining the muscles on the lower abdomen; which aren't a group I'd necessarily associate with exerting one's self on a bike.

Mine wasn't painful but I was aware of it, so I'd suggest that if you can climb / ride without discomfort it's probably fine.. but then (just like your mrs!) I'm not a doctor


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## The Central Scrutinizer (8 Sep 2022)

Bazzer said:


> What did the doctor who diagnosed advise, or is your wife medically trained?
> With mine some years ago, the hospital doctor said to just carry on with life until he fixed it, IIRC the following month.


Unfortunately i never asked my GP.
My wife worked on a NHS surgical ward for twenty years as a senior sister then became the ward manager so she does know a thing about this condition. Even so she is saying climbing hills "could" put pressure on not "would"
I'll try a few hills and see how i feel.
Got a letter today to see a consultant about surgery,that will be in five months time and then if they say surgery is necessary it will be on a long waiting list.I'm not going to complain about that as there are more urgent people needing treatment than me.


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## cyberknight (8 Sep 2022)

gws


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## kingrollo (9 Sep 2022)

Had same condition a few years back. I had no pain just a lump .

Surgeon said I was free to anything I liked whilst waiting for surgery.

Had it repaired with open surgery and mesh. Very painful post op - 3 weeks off work - back in the gym in 6 weeks.

A few flare ups when I thought it had broken for about 1 year. Still twinges now and again but overall get it repaired would be my advice.


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## bikingdad90 (10 Sep 2022)

The Central Scrutinizer said:


> Unfortunately i never asked my GP.
> My wife worked on a NHS surgical ward for twenty years as a senior sister then became the ward manager so she does know a thing about this condition. Even so she is saying climbing hills "could" put pressure on not "would"
> I'll try a few hills and see how i feel.
> Got a letter today to see a consultant about surgery,that will be in five months time and then if they say surgery is necessary it will be on a long waiting list.I'm not going to complain about that as there are more urgent people needing treatment than me.


Given the waiting list, can you not use the NHS right to treatment and access private on the NHS to speed things along?


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## kingrollo (10 Sep 2022)

bikingdad90 said:


> Given the waiting list, can you not use the NHS right to treatment and access private on the NHS to speed things along?



How's that work then ? Do tell ?

Think that initiative went by the by many years ago - if it ever existed for surgery


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## bikingdad90 (10 Sep 2022)

kingrollo said:


> How's that work then ? Do tell ?
> 
> Think that initiative went by the by many years ago - if it ever existed for surgery



Not sure exactly, but whenever I get referred through my GP for treatment I get a code to go on a portal and I can choose where I want to be treated.

- For my umbilical hernia operation I was able to choose a hospital with a years wait or go to a private hospital (on the NHS) and have it done in 6 weeks. 
- For my custom insoles for my feet (one leg is longer than the other) I was able to choose a few locations too.

Maybe it’s because our GP is flexible with the shortlist?
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/your-choices-in-the-nhs/


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## kingrollo (10 Sep 2022)

bikingdad90 said:


> Not sure exactly, but whenever I get referred through my GP for treatment I get a code to go on a portal and I can choose where I want to be treated.
> 
> - For my umbilical hernia operation I was able to choose a hospital with a years wait or go to a private hospital (on the NHS) and have it done in 6 weeks.
> - For my custom insoles for my feet (one leg is longer than the other) I was able to choose a few locations too.
> ...



It used to be linked to targets - but although the targets are still in place they are routinely breached and no one is really that interested.....bit like a+e waits.

Some areas won't even repair IA on the NHS. (I couldn't see a groin specialist AT ALL on the NHS)

When I had mine done(around 8 years ago) it was quite a wait to see the consultant - but after that the surgery date came through pretty quickly.


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