Hernia or strain?! Please help!

[painintolerance]

Hi everyone. Haven't posted in a long, long while. But I'm back with an aggravating fear.

I'm a pretty healthy 26 year old man. I've quelled my anxiety for quite a good time by just doing what I can to let things pass. However... today is not one of those days.

Yesterday, I did my usual workout routine. Nothing different at all. However, afterwards, for about 45 minutes straight, I had a coughing fit. I swallowed my spit the wrong way and choked. Couldn't get rid of the cough.

Well, last night I started feeling some pain in my groin area, just right below my lower right abdomen. It hurt whenever I leaned up, moved, walked, coughed, laughed or when I, ahem, 'pushed' when I went to use the restroom. It wasn't that bad, but upon waking up today, it hurt much worse.

I've pretty much spent today resting, writing it off as a lazy day, while making the bad decision to consult with Google...

I should mention that my arms a little sore today as well, so maybe I went a little harder than usual during my workout or something. But I have sore arms and an EXTREMELY sore groin!

I hope it's not a hernia! There's no bulge or lump. Just a lot of pain when I cough, walk, bend over, etc.!

As I said, I rested today, but I can't do that tomorrow. I have to mow the yard tomorrow as the grass has gotten pretty high (almost 2 weeks of nonstop rain) with a push mower. I just hope the pain has mitigated a bit by then. I rested up today and ate plenty of protein, so hopefully that will aid in recovery.

Just fearful that it's a hernia. Hopefully just a muscle strain. Please help!

[Gary A]

A hernia gives itself away by the appearance of a swelling, usually in the groin or lower abdomen.

You don't have any swelling, just a bit of pain.

It sounds exactly like a groin strain to me. I play a lot of football and have suffered many a groin strain, I can relate to a lot of what you describe.

[painintolerance]

Gary, thanks a lot for taking the time to reply.

This pain absolutely sucks. I love being active, but even walking is pretty painful today. Gotta work through the pain tomorrow because I gotta mow the yard, and grill out.

I guess my fear exists more than anything is because, after consulting with ol' Dr. Google (I know that was a bad decision), I kept reading about stories where people had hernias with no lump. I hope it's just a pesky strain that will heal up over a matter of days. I can't even cough without some intense pain.

[Jherron]

Sounds like a pull leg/hip muscle. I've done this several times brisk walking/ jogging. The last time I did my testicle hurt like he'll on that side. About the middle of the next day the pain had almost went away after some stretching before my exercise. BTW bad I habit I know but I never stretch before a jog. Give it 48 hours and I bet it'll be fine. Just don't stretch your legs out far while walking. Mine would feel like a kick in the nuts

[painintolerance]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Jherron.

The pain is most intense right beneath my lower right abdomen. Right where the inguinal canal is. No testicular pain whatsoever, though. Just extreme pain in the aforementioned region whenever I move, cough, laugh, 'exert' or bend over. Really dreading mowing tomorrow due to using a push mower on two big hills. Hoping the pain subsides quickly! Just don't want it to be a hernia.

[Jherron]

I think you'll be fine dude. I'm 30 and pulled muscles in that region from jogging and sprinting. It heals but feels awful just be glad testicle isn't hurting on that side when you activate that muscle. It was b!tch for me for about a day. This is not the first time I've done it neither. It has always stopped hurting. Give it 2 to 3 days and if the pain has not let up then I'd go to the Dr. I assume it won't take but 2 days and you'll be over it though. I've pulled and strained a lot of my lower back and abdominal muscles stretching out over a long pool table and they all have healed up quite quickly