On examination of the patient for a hernia, it is useful to realize that:

CLINICAL FEATURES Males are 20 times more commonly affected than females. The patient complains of pain in the groin or pain referred to the testicle when performing heavy work or taking strenuous exercise. When asked to cough, a small transient bulging may be seen and felt together with an expansile impulse. Large hernias : Sensation of weight and dragging on the mesentery may produce epigastric pain.