Hernia in Spanish

What it means

A hernia happens when part of an internal organ or tissue bulges through a weak area of muscle. Most hernias are in the abdomen. MedlinePlus lists several types, including inguinal, in the groin, which is the most common type; umbilical, around the belly button; incisional, through a scar; and hiatal, in which the upper part of the stomach moves up into the chest through a small opening in the diaphragm. There are usually no symptoms other than a visible bulge, though some people have discomfort or pain. A health care provider can usually see or feel a hernia during an exam. If the small intestine inside a hernia gets stuck and loses its blood supply, this is called strangulation, and surgery is needed right away.

Hernia in Spanish

Spanish term: Hernia
Gender and article: feminine: la hernia
Pronunciation: EHR-nyah

Hernia is written the same way in both languages, and in Spanish it is feminine: la hernia, una hernia. The Spanish dictionary defines it as the protrusion or exit of part of an organ, such as the intestine, from the anatomical structure that normally holds it in place. The same entry has subentries for hernia de disco and hernia de hiato.

MedlinePlus en español names the types hernia inguinal (in the groin, ingle), hernia umbilical (around the navel, ombligo), hernia femoral and hernia hiatal, where the dictionary writes hernia de hiato. For an incisional hernia its topic page says incisional and its encyclopedia article says hernia quirúrgica o eventración. The bulge is a protuberancia or a bulto, a hernia that loses its blood supply is described with the word estrangulación, and the verb on the topic page is herniarse.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I noticed a bulge in my groin a few weeks ago.	Hace unas semanas noté un bulto en la ingle.
Clinician	Does it hurt when you stand, strain, or lift something heavy?	¿Le duele al estar de pie, al hacer esfuerzo o al levantar algo pesado?
Patient	Yes, it bothers me more when I lift heavy things.	Sí, me molesta más cuando levanto cosas pesadas.
Clinician	Please cough while I examine the area.	Por favor, tosa mientras le examino la zona.
Clinician	You have an inguinal hernia.	Usted tiene una hernia inguinal.
Patient	Do I need surgery to repair the hernia?	¿Necesito cirugía para reparar la hernia?
Patient	Can the hernia come back after surgery?	¿Puede volver a salir la hernia después de la cirugía?
Clinician	Contact us right away if the hernia becomes painful and you have nausea, vomiting, or a fever.	Comuníquese con nosotros de inmediato si la hernia se vuelve dolorosa y tiene náuseas, vómitos o fiebre.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Hernia
Spanish (Español)	Hernia
Chinese (中文)	疝氣
Korean (한국어)	탈장
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Thoát vị
Filipino (Tagalog)	Hernia
Portuguese (Português)	Hérnia
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ไส้เลื่อน
Japanese (日本語)	ヘルニア

Where you'll see it

chartEOBmedical recordreferral

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: K40 → Inguinal hernia

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Digestive system

All terms in this area: Digestive system — Sistema digestivo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.