-
UhOh, I am not a doctor just a fellow patient who has done extensive reading on these topics.
A sports hernia, athletic pubalgia, or inguinal disruption is basically always painful and sometimes extremely painful either because there is a tear or a nerve compression, if you see one occur live on TV (football or soccer usually) the player is in clear pain on the field. They do not always occur with a sudden injury and they can also be gradual onset or seemingly random onset. Pain is the primary symptom. Non-pro athletes that end up with these injuries often have years of pain and misdiagnosis, it is not a subtle experience.
If you have a groin bulge that increases in size with valsava, that sounds more like a typical groin hernia. Go to a hernia doctor or general surgeon with hernia experience, they should be able to tell rather quickly. If there is some ambiguity or uncertainty, and you are troubled by pain or discomfort, then you can request a groin ultrasound with valsava or a CT/MRI with valsava and something might show up.
Good luck, keep us updated.