Any bulge should be brought to the attention of your doctor. U nlike a solid lump, a bulge is soft and usually retracts when you push or lie down on it. If you have a bulge, it's probably in your groin or on your upper thigh, and it's probably a hernia. A hernia happens when there's a weakening of the muscles and connective tissue in the abdominal wall that keeps the intestines in place. The intestines pop through the wall, and that protuberance is the hernia.
Hernias are fairly common.
Men are the more likely victims because they have a weak area in the groin muscle where it's intersected by the tube that carries sperm. Heavy lifting and straining during bowel movements increase your chances of getting a hernia. Laughing or coughing can trigger one, too. Hernias are seldom life threatening, but they can lead to complications. If the intestine actually gets stuck in the opening, you can develop an intestinal blockage or even gangrene, says John C. Rogers, M.D., M.P.H., vice chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.