DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 17-year-old son plays high school soccer. After a recent game, he began complaining of pain in his lower abdomen that radiates down to his inner thigh. His primary care physician believes he has a sports hernia. What is this condition, and how is it treated? What other sports injuries cause groin pain?

ANSWER: A sports hernia is a type of core muscle injury that occurs when there is weakening or a tear in the lower abdominal wall or the tendons that attach muscles to your pelvis. Although it can be found in a similar location to an inguinal hernia, typically, there is no bulge of the intestine protruding through the weakened spot in the abdominal wall. For this reason, the term "sports hernia" is somewhat of a misnomer.

Because of the location and muscles and tendons involved in the injury, patients usually feel pain in the abdomen or groin that can shoot down the inner thigh. Like your son, most patients can tell exactly when the pain first started. This injury is most common in athletes who participate in sports that involve quick changes in direction or twisting of the hips, like hockey, soccer, tennis and football. Males are more likely to develop a sports hernia than females.

A physical exam, often coupled with imaging, and occasionally diagnostic injections, is needed to determine whether the pain is caused by a sports hernia or a different type of injury. MRI and ultrasound are two diagnostic tools commonly used. Occasionally, diagnostic injections are used to numb specific areas of the abdomen or groin to see whether the pain subsides. This helps narrow the potential location of the injury.

Once a sports hernia is diagnosed, physical therapy typically is recommended as a first-line treatment. For cases that don’t resolve with conservative treatment, surgery may be recommended. Similar to a traditional hernia repair surgery, a piece of mesh is placed to reinforce and strengthen the weakened or torn area. This also allows scar tissue to form, which helps the injury to heal while alleviating the pain. These repairs can be performed through an open procedure or laparoscopic, minimally invasive techniques.

In addition to sports hernias, two other conditions commonly cause groin or abdominal pain in young athletes.

Hip impingement: This broad term describes conditions in which the ball and socket of the hip joint don’t fit together properly. Hip impingement can lead to a loss of internal rotation of the hip, which can trigger pain in the groin area during or after flexing the hip. Impingement also can tear the labrum — a fibrous ring of cartilage surrounding the hip socket — which also can cause groin pain.

For mild to moderate cases, nonsurgical treatment, such as activity modification, pain medication, physical therapy and cortisone injections, often is attempted first. If that doesn’t help or if the case is more severe, arthroscopic or open surgery may be used to reshape the bones or repair the labrum.

Hip adductor injury: This includes hip adductor tendinopathy, a condition in which the tissue connecting muscle to bone becomes chronically inflamed, or a hip adductor strain, which is when the adductor tendon or muscle is torn at or near the attachment point within the hip.

A wide range of treatments may be offered based on the injury's severity or complexity. Nonsurgical options include cortisone injections to quickly reduce pain and inflammation or platelet-rich plasma injections to try to stimulate healing.

If nonsurgical treatments don’t help or the injury is more complex, an adductor release surgery may be considered. This is when the tendon is cut or lengthened near its attachment to the hip bone. The adductor is still attached through the underlying muscles, but the procedure releases tension in the tendon, allowing the strain or inflammation to heal.

Traditionally, this procedure is done through an open surgery. In recent years, Mayo Clinic sports medicine physicians have developed a minimally invasive, ultrasound-guided option that uses a cutting thread to release the adductor through a needle.

If your child is diagnosed with a sports hernia, consider consulting a pediatric surgeon or sports medicine physician specializing in this condition to decide on a treatment that best suits the situation. A multidisciplinary team approach can help patients receive an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan for core muscle injuries. — D. Dean Potter Jr., M.D., Pediatric Surgery, and Jacob Sellon, M.D., Sports Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Could groin pain be a sports hernia? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On April 8, North America will experience a total solar eclipse, stretching across parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, with approximately 31.6 million people living in the path of totality. According to NASA, every contiguous state in the U.S., along with parts of Alaska and Hawaii, will witness at least a partial solar eclipse.

With all eyes toward the sky during an eclipse, Dr. Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic, says it's important to protect your eyes and your skin from ultraviolet (UV) light damage. You'll need eye protection with special-purpose solar filters for viewing, and you should take precautions to safeguard your skin from the sun's rays during long periods outside.

And when it comes to protection, she says sunscreen is for the skin only – never for the eye itself.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:02) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely blocks the sun, temporarily darkening the sky. Looking directly at the sun can cause damage to the retina due to the strong amount of UV light.

"If you would like to see the solar eclipse, you will need to have special solar eclipse glasses," says Dr. Davis.

While it's crucial to protect your eyes with ISO-approved solar eclipse glasses, Dr. Davis cautions people never to put sunscreen directly on their eyes.

"You cannot put sunscreen on your eyeballs, sunscreen is only for the skin," she says.

Lotion applied to the eyes can cause chemical irritation and possibly damage.

"While we're spending time making sure that we protect our eyes during the solar eclipse, which is extremely important, it's important to remember that your skin is also vulnerable to the UV light," says Dr. Davis.

Along with the proper eyewear, consider wearing a broad-brimmed hat and using sunscreen with SPF 50. "I would reapply every two hours at minimum. And if you happen to sweat or get wet, I would reapply immediately," Dr. Davis says.

Tips for safely viewing the total solar eclipse

Along with wearing special glasses, there are additional ways to stay safe during a solar eclipse.

• Wear sunscreen with a high SPF and broad-spectrum protection. Reapply it every two hours, or more often if you sweat or get wet.
• Wear a hat that covers your head, face, ears and neck. A wide-brimmed hat is ideal, as it can also shield your eyes from the sun.
• Wear protective clothing that covers your arms and legs. Choose light-colored, loose-fitting and breathable fabrics that can keep you cool and comfortable.
• Seek shade whenever possible, especially during the peak hours of the sun’s intensity (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and avoid heat exhaustion or heatstroke

View the path of the total solar eclipse courtesy: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Visit the American Astronomical Society for a listing of reputable vendors of approved safety eclipse glasses.

Learn about pinhole and optical projection for alternative safe viewing options.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips to safely watch the total solar eclipse appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX ― Managing levels of calcium in the blood and the protein albumin early on in COVID-19 may prevent patients from progressing to severe illness and death, a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the journal Gastroenterology found. The findings are based on the remarkably similar clinical features and autopsy results of patients who died of COVID-19 and patients whose organ failure resulted from the release of unsaturated fatty acid caused by other illnesses, says lead researcher Vijay Singh, MBBS, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

The receptor for the COVID-19 virus has been reported on fat cells and  pancreatic cells that release enzymes breaking down fat, Dr. Singh says.

"When this happens, serum calcium and albumin are consumed by unsaturated fatty acids generated from the fat breakdown process and the remaining unsaturated fatty acids then injure vital organs, which can eventually lead to death,"  he says.

Supplementing serum calcium and albumin to maintain normal levels, starting early and continuing throughout a COVID-19 infection may help  bind and neutralize unsaturated fatty acids and prevent organ failure while giving the patient time to fight and clear the infection, Dr. Singh says.

 "This may help to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, and the need for patient treatment in intensive care units," he says. "Supplementation to achieve and maintain normal serum calcium and albumin levels is  safe and can easily be tested in clinical trials."

"Calcium carbonate, which can help maintain normal levels of serum calcium, is readily available over the counter, while albumin is commonly used intravenously in hospitals and costs about the same as common antibiotics," Dr. Singh says.

Countries with a higher per-capita consumption of unsaturated fat also reported higher rates of mortality during the two weeks of the steepest increase in COVID-19 mortality from March 25 to April 8, food and agricultural organization data show, Dr. Singh notes.

"Among 11 other factors including wealth, access to health care resources and demographics such as age, unsaturated fat intake was the only factor associated with increased mortality on multivariate analysis. And, interestingly saturated fat intake was protective," he says. 

Dr. Singh notes that, while giving calcium and albumin early in the course of COVID-19 may prevent unsaturated fatty acid-induced injury, several clinical trials have shown that supplementing them later was not effective.

###

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo.

Media contact: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Managing levels of specific protein, mineral early in COVID-19 may prevent severe illness appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic reminds patients that it’s safe to seek care, whether in person, through a virtual visit or in the case of an emergency.  

Amy Williams, M.D., Mayo Clinic executive dean for practice, emphasizes that patients should not delay care and that extra safety measures are in place for Mayo Clinic employees and patients alike.

Journalists: Video is available in the downloads at the end of the post.

You also can join Dr. Williams here for a virtual walking tour of Mayo Clinic’s Rochester facilities, where she demonstrates why it’s safe to come to Mayo Clinic. For more information, refer to the appointments page here.

Related posts:

• Mayo Clinic encourages patients to practice good hand hygiene
• Mayo Clinic encourages patients to practice safe social distancing guidelines
• Mayo Clinic expands in-person care on all campuses

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding along with guidelines and recommendations may have changed since the original publication date. 

Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for additional updates on COVID-19. For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

The post Mayo Clinic reminds patients to not delay care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Then in an encore presentation of Mayo Clinic Radio, Dr. Todd Miller, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains how exercise affects the heart. And Dr. Beth Robertson, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, discusses headaches and treatment for migraines.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post COVID-19 update / “Quarantine 15″/ exercise and the heart / headaches April 29, 2020: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post COVID-19 (Coronavirus): Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post American Heart Month: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

THIS WEEK'S TOP TOPICS
Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet
All types of grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, as well as some key vitamins and minerals. Whole grains are healthiest, and eating a variety can make your meals and snacks more interesting. If you're like most people, though, you're not getting enough whole grains. See how to make whole grains part of your healthy diet.

Understanding psoriasis
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, causing cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful. There is no cure for psoriasis, but you can manage the symptoms. Learn more about the symptoms and risk factors for psoriasis, and when you need to seek medical care.

EXPERT ANSWERS
What causes discolored semen?
Semen is normally a whitish-gray color. Changes in semen color might be temporary and harmless, or a sign of an underlying condition that requires further evaluation. Learn more from Dr. Erik Castle, a Mayo Clinic urologist.

What are the side effects and risks of melatonin?
Melatonin supplements can help treat sleep disorders and generally are safe for short-term use. There could be side effects, though, and melatonin supplements can interact with various medications. Learn more from Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.

PLUS ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Sickle cell anemia
Rabies
Video: 'Stroke Robot'
Thrombocytosis

HEALTHY RECIPES
Honey sage carrots
Acorn squash with apples
Roasted red snapper
Baked apples with cherries and almonds

HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK
Fitness tip: Get physical at home
Time spent at home doesn't have to be couch potato time. Fit more physical activity into your home life with these tips:

1. Wake up 30 minutes early. Use the extra time to walk on your treadmill or take a brisk walk through your neighborhood.
2. Gather a group. Ask friends or family to join you for a walk after dinner or on a Saturday morning.
3. Be active while watching TV. Use resistance bands, or do pushups or squats during your favorite show.
4. Involve the whole family. Ride your bikes. Take a trip to the pool. Make it fun!

Need practical advice on diet and exercise? Want creative solutions for stress and other lifestyle issues? Discover more healthy lifestyle topics at mayoclinic.org.

Receive a free e-subscription to Housecall and other health newsletters.

The post Housecall: Are whole grains part of your healthy diet? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute we hear from Dr. Kopecky about how work stress affects your heart, and he offers tips to handle it.

To listen, click the link below.

Work Stress and Your Heart

The post Can work stress hurt your heart: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Parkinson’s disease / carpal tunnel / hospice care: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.