(HealthDay News) -- A hernia is a bulge caused by tissue that protrudes through a weak spot in a muscle wall, where it doesn't belong. While hernias are more common in adults, they can also occur in children.

Here are signs that your child may have a hernia, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:

• A bulge that appears when your child is straining, coughing, crying or standing, and disappears when sleeping or resting.
• A bulge that is always visible.
• Swelling or discoloration of the groin or abdomen.
• A bulge in the groin that is swollen, red, inflamed and causing your child extreme pain.
• A combination of symptoms including irritability, pain, constipation, fever or vomiting.