INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Though hernias can also occur after surgery, inguinal hernias are by far the most common type of hernia. This is the hernia in which a weak point in the abdominal muscles allows internal organs to bulge out of the abdominal cavity. Although anyone can get a hernia, there are certain at-risk groups that are more likely.  Men are nine times more likely to get a hernia than women.  Men between the ages of 40 and 59 are particularly at risk of hernia. People who regularly do heavy lifting, like weightlifters and manual laborers are also at increased risk. Although women are at a lower risk of hernia, you should still know the categories of women who most often get them:  Taller women Women with chronic cough Pregnant or obese women who may get an umbilical hernia  "Femoral hernias" tend to cause bowel blockage in women. Surprisingly, obese and overweight men are not at risk of inguinal hernia. This may be due to a sedentary lifestyle that avoids heavy lifting.  Tobacco and alcohol use also have no effect on inguinal hernias. Inguinal hernias present as a bulge in the groin that gets worse when straining. Activities that can worsen the bulge include constipation, lifting heavy objects, manual labor, or coughing and sneezing. This bulge is actually the organs in your abdomen poking out through weakened muscle tissue. Usually, you can manually push them back into the abdomen by applying pressure. Trouble starts when you can no longer “reduce” the hernia or push it back behind the abdominal muscles. Other symptoms of hernia include:  Pain that can be described as pulling, tugging, or burning. It can feel worse after physical activity. Pain relief when lying on your back, when organs are restored to their rightful place. Possible gurgling sound when bowels are in the hernia. Rigid bulge: If you can't push the hernia back in, the bowels may have become trapped, or "incarcerated." Incarcerated hernias require emergency medical care. To diagnose a hernia, the doctor will first look for a bulging area about the size of a golf ball in the groin, next to the hip bone. He'll have you lay back to see if the bulge recedes on its own when you lay down. He may manipulate the bulge manually to see if the hernia can be pushed back behind the abdominal wall. If the intestine is present in the hernia, the doctor will be able to hear gurgling with a stethoscope. With male patients, the doctor may try to feel the hernia from below to confirm its presence. He will press a gloved finger up through the loose scrotal sac. Then, he'll ask you to cough or bear down like you're making a bowel movement. If you have a hernia, he will feel it hitting his finger firmly. The doctor will check both sides of the scrotum to be confident in the diagnosis. In the majority of cases, the doctor will be able to diagnose a hernia through a simple physical exam. In some cases, though, the hernia may be difficult to diagnose. If he's not confident in his diagnosis, the doctor may order an ultrasound that will visually confirm the hernia. The procedure is relatively cheap and non-invasive. If you have a small, asymptomatic hernia, the doctor may just send you home with instructions on how to monitor the hernia's status. In most cases, the hernias resolve on their own without surgery. If you observe worsening symptoms, you may need to get surgery. Surgery is recommended for patients with large hernias that present with multiple symptoms. People who have recurrent hernias after an initial surgical repair also need surgery. Pregnant women and women who've previously given birth are at higher risk for recurrent hernias. Incarcerated hernias are a surgical emergency and need immediate attention. When this happens, the bowel gets blocked and strangulated, cutting off blood flow.

SUMMARY: Determine whether you’re at risk. Learn the risk factors for women. Take note of common misconceptions about risk factors. Look for the symptoms of an inguinal hernia. Get a physical examination from a doctor. Allow the doctor to examine the hernia through the scrotal sac. Have an ultrasound done if necessary. Discuss your options with your doctor.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Birds are typically very clean creatures and they spend a lot of time cleaning, preening, and grooming their feathers. This is natural self-care behavior that is important for birds to do.  While preening, birds straighten out their feathers by pulling them through their beaks. This allows them to pull out dislodged feathers, clean out pests and debris, and spread preening oil across their feathers. Preening oil is produced from a gland near a bird's tail and the bird spreads it around to all of its feathers. This oil helps protect the feathers. If your bird has stopped preening, has ruffled feathers, and looks shabby, you should have it looked at by a veterinarian. This could indicate that it is not well. Bathing is an important part of feather maintenance for birds. If your bird stops bathing itself, that is a sign that it is no longer taking care of itself. This could signal depression, body pain, or lack of mobility. Your bird may simply take a quick bath in its water dish once in a while, so you may not catch it every time. However, you may notice water splashed all over the place in your bird's cage. This is a good indicator that your bird has taken a bath. Wing flapping can signal a lot of things, but one reason that birds do it is simply for the exercise. Birds in captivity still want to keep their wings in working condition, so flapping them around keeps the muscles conditioned to some degree. Your bird may also do this to get your attention or simply because it is happy.

SUMMARY:
Look for preening behavior. Make sure your bird is bathing. Look for vigorous wing flapping.