Inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia are two types of hernia, a condition that occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. There are different types of hernias depending on the place affected such as femoral hernia, hiatal hernia, incisional hernia, etc.
Thus, the key difference between inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia is their location. Inguinal hernia occurs in the groin, while umbilical hernia occurs in the belly button.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Inguinal Hernia
3. What is Umbilical Hernia
4. Similarities – Inguinal Hernia and Umbilical Hernia
5. Inguinal Hernia vs Umbilical Hernia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Inguinal Hernia vs Umbilical Hernia
7. FAQ – Inguinal Hernia and Umbilical Hernia
What is Inguinal Hernia?
An inguinal hernia occurs in the region between the lower part of the abdomen and the thigh. It occurs due to the weakening of the lower abdomen muscles. In an inguinal hernia, the intestines and the peritoneum push through the muscles and appear as a bulge under the skin. The common symptoms of inguinal hernia may include a bulge that increases in size when strained and disappears when lying down, sudden pain when exercising the groin or scrotum, and a feeling of weakness, pressure, burning, or aching in the groin or scrotum.

Figure 01: Inguinal Hernia Repair
Inguinal hernia can be diagnosed through questionnaires, medical history, and physical examination. Furthermore, treatment options for inguinal hernia may include pain management, open surgery, laparoscopy, or robotic-assisted repair.
What is Umbilical Hernia?
An umbilical hernia occurs at the umbilicus or belly button when a loop of the intestine pushes through the umbilical ring. This type of hernia can be seen mainly in newborns and will naturally close by the time when the child reaches 5 years of age. It can be caused in newborns when muscles in the umbilical cord region do not naturally close. However, it is caused in adults due to chronic health conditions like carrying excessive belly, chronic coughing, difficulty urinating due to an enlarged prostate, prolonged constipation, repetitive vomiting, obesity, and straining. Moreover, the signs and symptoms of this condition are a bulge or swelling in the belly button area, painful, bloody stool, nausea, vomiting, a bulge that is reddened, darkened, purple, or firm.

Figure 02: Umbilical Hernia
Umbilical Hernia can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, abdominal ultrasound, and CT scan. Furthermore, the treatment options for umbilical hernia may include hernia repair surgery.
Similarities Between Inguinal Hernia and Umbilical Hernia
- Inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia are two types of hernia.
- Both can result in swelling and pain in the affected region.
- Both can be diagnosed through medical history and physical examination.
- They can be treated with surgery.
Difference Between Inguinal Hernia and Umbilical Hernia
Definition
- An inguinal hernia happens at the groin region when the intestines and the peritoneum push through the weak spot in abdominal muscles.
- An umbilical hernia happens at the umbilicus when a loop of intestine pushes through the umbilical ring.
Who Gets It
- Inguinal hernia is seen in adults (more common in men).
- Umbilical hernia is seen in newborns (more common) and adults.
Causes
- Inguinal hernia is caused due to the weakening of the lower abdomen muscles.
- Umbilical hernia is caused due to anatomical defects, chronic health conditions, obesity, and straining.
Symptoms
- Symptoms of inguinal hernia include a bulge in the area on either side of your pubic bone which when people are upright, pain in the groin and heavy sensation in the groin.
- Symptoms of Umbilical hernia include abdominal pain, constipation, fever, full, round abdomen, red, purple, dark, or discoloured bulges, and vomiting.
Diagnosis
- Inguinal hernia is diagnosed by questionnaires, medical history, and physical examination.
- Umbilical hernia is dianosed by medical history, physical examination, imaging test such as abdominal ultrasound and CT scan.
Treatment
- Inguinal hernia is treated by pain management, open surgery, laparoscopy, or robotic-assisted repair.
- Umbilical hernia is treated by pain management and hernia repair surgery.
The following table summarizes the difference between inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia.
Summary – Inguinal Hernia vs Umbilical Hernia
Hernia usually occurs in the abdomen or groin when one of the organs pushes through the muscle that contains it. There are different hernia types. Inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia are two such types. An inguinal hernia happens in the groin region, while an umbilical hernia happens at the umbilicus or belly button. Moreover, inguinal hernia is more common in adults, whereas umbilical hernia is more common in newborns and rarely seen in adults. This is the key difference between inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia.
FAQ: Inguinal Hernia and Umbilical Hernia
1. What is the main cause of inguinal hernia?
- Inguinal hernia is caused by a weak area in the muscles and connective tissue of the lower abdominal wall at the inguinal canal. This leads to the development of an inguinal hernia.
2. How to detect inguinal hernia?
- Inguinal hernias are easily diagnosed on questionnaires, medical history, and physical examination in men. However, ultrasonography is often performed in diagnosing the inguinal hernia in women.
3. What is the best treatment for inguinal hernia?
- Open hernia repair is the best treatment for inguinal hernia. In this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the groin and pushes the protruding tissue back into the abdomen.
4. How serious is an umbilical hernia?
- In an umbilical hernia, if the trapped portion of the intestine is completely cut off from the blood supply, this can lead to tissue death. Infection may also spread throughout the abdominal cavity, causing a life-threatening situation.
5. How does one treat an umbilical hernia?
- Umbilical hernia can be treated through a hernia repair surgery. In this surgery, a small incision is made at the base of the belly button. Then the protruded tissue is placed back into the abdominal cavity. The opening in the muscle is then repaired with multiple layers of stitches to prevent future hernia.
Reference:
1. “Inguinal Hernia: Types, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Umbilical Hernia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Inguinal Hernia Repair” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Umbilical hernia 01” By Saltanat – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
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