When should you seek medical treatment for a hernia?

The discovery of a hernia or the onset of hernia symptoms merits a visit to the doctor; all hernias have the potential to become medical emergencies, according to EMedicineHealth. This includes hernias that can be pushed back into the abdomen and that are not tender.

Electing to have a hernia repaired avoids the potential for emergency care if the hernia becomes strangulated or irreducible, which means that the hernia can no longer be pushed back into the body, notes EMedicineHealth. A new, tender and painful irreducible lump or a hernia that suddenly becomes irreducible requires immediate care since it can lead to gangrene in the bowel in as little as six hours.