Why turn your head and cough

These areas include the belly button in men and women, and the area where the testicles meet the body in men. Some doctors may not use this phrase and instead instruct patients to cover their mouths or simply to cough.

Patients who have a known illness, such as the common cold or influenza, should always cover their mouths while coughing.

In fact, hernia repair is quickly becoming the most common surgical procedure in the United States, with more than , performed every year. The following will help you understand what causes hernia and how you can help prevent and treat it. Normally, the abdominal muscles form a thick wall that contain and protect the intestines and other internal organs.

A hernia occurs when a weak spot forms in the wall and internal usually intestinal tissue starts to protrude through the wall. There are four major types of hernia based on where they occur:. A hernia generally appears as a noticeable bulge under the skin. It may not be painful at first, and is usually more noticeable when you cough or strain. Hernias are caused by activities that put stress on the abdominal wall. These can include:. I don't know the full explanation, but it has something to do with being able to tell if the recruit has an unsuspected hernia.

Potter, Kettering, UK Apparently you have never had a complete physical, as the doctor is checking for a hernia. When you turn your head and cough, the doctor, through pressure against the testicular wall, discovers whether a piece of intestine pokes through, thus demonstrating a hernia. Liz Bolt, Brighton Britain Our matron at school used to hold our testicles and ask us to cough. She also kept a large spoon to use as a "de-arouser" should we find the experience pleasant.

Andrew, Thirsk North When i was a little boy our school nurse did exactly this but not only did they check for this, they checked us for piles too. It was not a plesant experiance. Sean, Watford england I know they do it in Switzerland. Every Swiss male is required to do national service and when I had to go for the recruitment, which lasts days, last year, they also checked my testicles. Inguinal hernias happen when certain soft tissue, particularly lower intestines, starts to come through the lower abdominal wall through a small hole or tear in the wall.

What they are doing is poking their fingers up around the inguinal canal, above the testicles. The inguinal canal runs down about where your leg and torso meet and is also the canal the spermatic cord passes through, attached to the testicles. For women, ligaments pass through this canal to help hold the uterus in place. For both sexes, the ilioinguinal nerve also passes through the inguinal canal.

If either of these things happens, congratulations, you have an inguinal hernia. As to why the doctor will then have you stand and turn your head and cough, the first part is because the hernia may well disappear when you lay down, with the tissue receding back into your abdominal cavity. As to why they ask you to cough, this creates internal pressure in your abdomen.