Inguinal hernia or muscle bulge? i am a 22 year old female, about january i have had a little hard bulge along my right external oblique what would be the "v" muscle... its about the size of a thumb print. i decided just to ignore it because it didn't hur

A : A bulge in your abdominal wall that comes out when you cough or sit up and then goes back down when you lay down sounds very concerning for a hernia. You need to see a general surgeon and have them look at it and see what they think. The ultrasound is ok if you've already been scheduled, but it isn't always going to be accurate in diagnosing a hernia. Even if the u/s comes back saying that a hernia isn't seen, it doesn't mean you don't have one. Hernias are one of the most common conditions that a surgeon sees and most people still think that a physical exam done by a surgeon is the best way to diagnose whether or not you have a hernia.

Possible: Does the bulge go away when you lie down or when you are sleeping? If so, it is probably a hernia. It can also be a muscle injury or a benign skin tumor - if it doesn't go away in a few weeks - see your doctor.