What are the signs and symptoms of a ventral hernia?
You may have one or more of the following: • A bulge in your abdomen. • Swelling in your abdomen. • Nausea (you feel like you need to throw up). • Pain in your abdomen. • Very bad back pain. • Trouble standing up straight. • Constipation (dry, hard stools). • Urinating little or not at all. How is a ventral hernia diagnosed? Your caregiver will look and feel for a bulge in your abdomen. He may ask you to lie down with your legs bent. He may also ask you to cough while standing up. You may need any of the following: • Abdominal ultrasound: An abdominal ultrasound is a test that is done to see inside your abdomen. Sound waves are used to show pictures of your abdomen on a TV-like screen. • Computed tomography (CT) scan: This is also called a CAT scan. A special x-ray machine uses a computer to take pictures of your abdomen. A CT scan may help your caregiver see if you have a ventral hernia. He may also see the size of your hernia and what is causing it. You may be given dye before the pi
