Hiatal hernia is a condition where the part that connects the stomach to the esophagus is pushed between the LES and the diaphragm, thus compromising the ability of the diaphragm to help the contractions of the LES, resulting in GERD.

Very few GERD sufferers will develop hiatal hernia.

Many people that have hiatal hernia don’t necessarily suffer from reflux symptoms.

Mostly obese or old people with weak muscles tend to develop these hernias.

Hiatal hernia may be congenital or acquired. There is an increased prevalence in older people. It is believed that muscle weakness with loss of flexibility and elasticity with age predisposes to the development of a hiatal hernia.

A hiatal hernia can cause acid to build up in the part where the stomach pushes its way past the LES, a condition called hiatal sac.

The acid that is built up can easily find its way into the esophagus as the latter relaxes.

Now, small hiatal hernias won’t necessarily give you any symptom.

The larger hiatal hernias though can cause heartburn, regurgitation of food or liquids into the mouth, difficulty swallowing, chest or abdominal pain, shortness of breath and even vomiting of blood or passing of black stools.

If left untreated, Hiatal hernias may rarely become trapped in the chest or strangulated—which means the hernia begins to cut off blood to the entrapped intestine.

The success of hiatal hernia surgery can be measured by relief of symptoms, improvement in esophageal acid exposure, complications, and need for reoperation.

A hiatal hernia is often discovered in an X-ray of your upper digestive system and probably the best treatment outside of surgery is lifestyle changes in which you change your diet and your eating habits.

Losing excess weight can also be tremendously helpful in alleviating the symptoms.

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The post HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE HIATAL HERNIA? first appeared on Jeff Martin's Acid Reflux Blog.