It was unpleasant but not painful, so he tried to ignore it. A few months later, however, he noticed a bulge had formed in the same area, about the size of a lima bean. He had it checked out and was diagnosed with a groin hernia, one of the most common medical conditions affecting men.

Around 27 percent of men will develop groin — or inguinal — hernias at some point in their lives, according to a 2017 study, while only 3 percent of women will. In total, surgeons repair around 800,000 groin hernias in the United States each year, making it the most common surgery in the country.

The risk of developing a groin hernia increases as we get older — so while the overall percentage of people with the condition has declined in recent years, the total number of cases is increasing as the population continues to age.

The condition can be deeply uncomfortable and disrupt a person’s life, said Dr. Benjamin Poulose, a hernia surgeon at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, but it typically doesn’t require immediate surgery.

However, in rare cases, groin hernias can develop into a serious medical condition requiring immediate attention — and can even be life-threatening. Here’s what to know about groin hernias, and when to treat them.

What is a hernia?

Most people experience a hernia as a bump under the skin. They occur when an internal organ, most often the small intestine, protrudes through the abdominal cavity, though you can have a hernia without a bump. Surgeons use the term to describe “a hole in the body that shouldn’t be there,” Dr. Poulose said.

These holes can develop in many places in the muscles and fascia that form the abdominal wall, like the belly buttons or behind a surgical scar, but usually near the groin area, known as inguinal hernias. These protuberances can cause mild sensations, like those experienced by Mr. Saunders, or intense or burning pain.

“The abdominal cavity is very richly supplied with sensory nerves,” said Dr. Yuri Novitsky, a surgeon and the director of the Columbia Hernia Center.

Contrary to popular belief, hernias like this are generally not caused by lifting something heavy. Rather, the action often causes someone to notice one that was already there. “If lifting caused hernias, I would have a waiting room full of bodybuilders,” Dr. Novitsky said.

Are groin hernias serious?

Around one third of all groin hernia cases have no or mild symptoms, but they tend to worsen gradually over time.

“If your symptoms are minimal to absent, you’re highly unlikely to go from like zero to 60 in terms of needing a big emergency procedure,” Dr. Novitsky said. These patients can often choose “watchful waiting,” he said, which involves monitoring the hernia over time.

But many people eventually opt for surgery. In a large randomized trial from 2006, about 25 percent of men elected to undergo surgery within two years and 60 percent did so within five.

Some groin hernias can develop into emergencies if part of the intestine becomes trapped and its blood supply is cut off, Dr. Novitsky said. This can cause severe intestinal damage that requires immediate surgery. There are usually clear warning signs, he added, like a sudden increase in pain, nausea and a bulge that grows quickly or becomes firm.

Though women are less likely to develop groin hernias, they are more susceptible than men to femoral hernias — a subtype of groin hernia that forms in the upper thigh. These are more prone to sudden complications and “aren’t the ones you ever want to simply watch,” Dr. Novitsky said.

Who is most at risk?

Experts know how groin hernias form, but not always why. Men are more likely to develop them, largely because of basic anatomy.

“The testicle starts in the abdomen and descends into the scrotum at birth,” Dr. Novitsky said. This leaves men with a lifelong weakness near the opening in the groin, he said, that can be “a path of least resistance for hernias to form.”

Age is also a factor; the risk increases for older people because of a natural weakening of the abdominal walls. National data from Denmark suggests men in their late 70s are roughly seven times more likely to undergo surgery for a groin hernia than men in their 40s. Also, about 5 percent of full-term babies and 30 percent of premature infants — who are often born with underdeveloped abdominal walls — get hernias.

Experts say genetics plays a role as well. For example, people who are predisposed to certain connective tissue disorders, like Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, are more susceptible.

How are groin hernias repaired?

The most common option for repairing a hernia is open surgery, during which surgeons close the hole either with sutures or a synthetic mesh. Mesh repairs are the most common, since they are more likely to be a permanent fix than sutures — only 1 to 4 percent of mesh procedures result in further hernias compared to 5 to 10 percent of those fixed with sutures.

Chronic pain is the most common side effect of hernia repair. Mesh repair carries a small risk of infection — less than 1 percent — but can be a serious complication when it occurs.

Over the past few decades, laparoscopic repair — where surgeons operate through several small incisions to repair the hernia from inside the abdominal wall — has become increasingly common, sometimes using robotic-assisted techniques.

Laparoscopic surgery is just as effective in the long term and typically results in smaller scars a quicker recovery. Some research also shows that it can dramatically reduces the risk of chronic pain. Many surgeons still lack the expertise to perform laparoscopic repair, Dr. Novitsky said, but the method is becoming more common.

Can groin hernias be prevented?

Simply put, probably not. Partly that’s because experts still don’t know why groin hernias form. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle “can help,” Dr. Poulose said. He recommended keeping a healthy weight, staying physically active and addressing conditions that put stress on the abdominal walls — like chronic constipation or a persistent cough.

But for people predisposed to developing groin hernias, there isn’t much they can do to prevent them. Hernias “don’t discriminate,” Dr. Novitsky said. “Young and old, skinny and obese, tall and short — it can happen to anyone.”

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