I'm glad he is going to the doctor. His symptoms do sound similar to a hernia however it is best that he have medical evaluation by a physician.

Remember that an Emergency Room is for acute care. If he had a sudden increase in pain, or some other symptom that suddenly started it would be considered an acute condition and something that should be handled in the ER. So many people get disappointed when they spend 6 hours to be seen by an ER doctor only to have them say there is not anything we can do in the ER and send them out to a specialist!