Hiatus hernia what is it

A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach bulges through your diaphragm into your chest cavity. A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach bulges through the large muscle separating your abdomen and chest diaphragm. Your diaphragm has a small opening hiatus through which your food tube esophagus passes before connecting to your stomach. In a hiatal hernia, the stomach pushes up through that opening and into your chest.

A small hiatal hernia usually doesn't cause problems. You may never know you have one unless your doctor discovers it when checking for another condition. But a large hiatal hernia can allow food and acid to back up into your esophagus, leading to heartburn. Self-care measures or medications can usually relieve these symptoms.

A very large hiatal hernia might require surgery. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Subscribe for free and receive your in-depth guide to digestive health, plus the latest on health innovations and news.

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Oesophageal strictures can be treated using a tiny balloon to dilate widen the oesophagus. This procedure is usually carried out under a local anaesthetic.

Repeated damage to the oesophagus can also lead to changes in the cells lining your lower oesophagus. This is a condition known as Barrett's oesophagus. Barrett's oesophagus doesn't usually cause noticeable symptoms, other than those associated with GORD.

However, Barrett's oesophagus can increase your risk of developing oesophageal cancer. If you have persistent reflux symptoms for more than 3 weeks, you should talk to your GP because you may need some investigations.

In some cases, a hiatus hernia causes part of the stomach to push up next to the oesophagus. This is known as a para-oesophageal hiatus hernia. GORD doesn't usually occur in these cases, but there's a risk of the hernia becoming strangulated. Strangulation occurs when the hernia becomes knotted and the blood supply to the area is cut off.

Emergency surgery is usually required to correct the problem. Home Illnesses and conditions Stomach, liver and gastrointestinal tract Hiatus hernia. Hiatus hernia See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About hiatus hernia 2. Diagnosing hiatus hernia 3. Treating hiatus hernia 4. Complications of hiatus hernia. About hiatus hernia A hiatus hernia, or hiatal hernia, is when part of the stomach squeezes up into the chest through an opening "hiatus" in the diaphragm.

The diaphragm is a large, thin sheet of muscle between the chest and the abdomen tummy. Hiatus hernia and heartburn A hiatus hernia itself rarely has any noticeable symptoms. What causes a hiatus hernia? Who's affected Hiatus hernia can affect anyone, but it's more common in people who are: over 50 years of age overweight pregnant It's estimated that a third of people over 50 have a hiatus hernia. Types of hiatus hernia There are 2 main types of hiatus hernia. Treating a hiatus hernia Treatment for a sliding hiatus hernia usually focuses on relieving the symptoms of GORD, such as heartburn.

Lifestyle advice may include: eating smaller, more frequent meals, rather than 3 large meals a day avoiding lying down including going to bed for 3 hours after eating or drinking removing any foods or drinks from your diet that make your symptoms worse If a hiatus hernia isn't causing any noticeable problems, it doesn't usually need to be treated.

Further problems It's rare for a hiatus hernia to cause complications, but long-term damage to the oesophagus caused by leaking stomach acid can lead to ulcers, scarring and changes to the cells of the oesophagus, which can increase your risk of oesophageal cancer. Diagnosing hiatus hernia A hiatus hernia can usually be diagnosed after a gastroscopy or X-ray.

Gastroscopy A gastroscopy is a procedure where the inside of your body is examined using a gastroscope a long, thin flexible tube with a light and video camera at one end , which sends images to an external monitor. Barium meal X-ray The barium meal X-ray , also called the barium swallow test, is an effective way of identifying a hiatus hernia. Treating hiatus hernia Treatment for a hiatus hernia is usually only necessary if it's causing problems.

Lifestyle changes There are several things you can do yourself to help relieve symptoms of GORD caused by a hiatus hernia. These include: eating smaller, more frequent meals, rather than three large meals a day avoiding lying down including going to bed for at least 3 hours after eating or drinking avoiding drinking during the night removing certain foods from your diet if you think they make your symptoms worse avoiding alcohol , caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes, fatty foods, spicy foods and acidic food or drinks, such as citrus fruit juice, if they make your symptoms worse avoiding bending over or stooping, particularly after eating or drinking raising the head of your bed by around 20cm 8 inches by placing a piece of wood or blocks under it; don't use extra pillows, because this may increase pressure on your abdomen If you're overweight, losing weight may help to reduce the severity and frequency of your symptoms.

Medication A number of different medications can be used to treat symptoms of hiatus hernia. Antacids Antacid medicines can relieve some of the symptoms of hiatus hernia. Alginates Alginates are an alternative medicine to antacids. Surgery Surgery is usually only recommended for a sliding hiatus hernia hernias that move up and down, in and out of the chest area if the problem fails to respond to lifestyle changes and medication.

Para-oesophageal hiatus hernia If you have a para-oesophageal hiatus hernia, where the stomach pushes up through the hole in the diaphragm next to the oesophagus, surgery may be recommended to reduce the risk of the hernia becoming strangulated see complications of a hiatus hernia for more information.

Complications of hiatus hernia Complications from a hiatus hernia are rare, but they can be serious. In some cases, your physician might recommend surgery, such as fundoplication, in which the physician wraps part of the upper stomach around the lower esophagus to tighten the opening. Unfortunately, surgery does not always resolve the problem.

A combination of these measures can often successfully control the acid reflux symptoms of hiatus hernia, and some individuals will require ongoing maintenance therapy with a proton pump inhibitor. However, these measures might be only partially effective and symptoms of hiatus hernia could persist. Hiatus Hernia Hiatus Hernia Overview Hiatus hernia is a common condition of the upper digestive system, especially in individuals with a chronic sensory and peristalsis problem of the digestive tract functional dyspepsia.

Symptoms of Hiatus Hernia The most common symptom of hiatus hernia is heartburn, the burning discomfort produced in the lower central chest by refluxing stomach acid irritating the lower esophagus, which lacks the protective mucous lining of the stomach. Other symptoms, which vary from person to person, can include: food regurgitating into the mouth a bitter taste bad breath coughing The symptoms can be similar to those experienced by individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD.

Diagnosing Hiatus Hernia Testing will likely be required to confirm the diagnosis of hiatus hernia, and to rule out other possible reasons for the symptoms. Management of Hiatus Hernia As with many digestive conditions, there are a number of components to a hiatus hernia treatment plan. Dietary and Lifestyle Modifications The first aim of treatment is to prevent the refluxing of acid into the esophagus. Medications There are two main approaches to treating hiatus hernia with medications: neutralizing acid and blocking its production.

H 2 RAs work by blocking the effect of histamine, which stimulates certain cells in the stomach to produce acid. H 2 RAs are all available by prescription and some are accessible in a lower dose non-prescription formulation.

PPIs work by blocking an enzyme necessary for acid secretion and have the best effect when taken on an empty stomach, a half-hour to one hour before the first meal of the day. PPIs have emerged as the most effective therapy for relieving symptoms and improving quality of life, as well as healing and preventing damage to the esophagus.

In Canada, PPIs are available only by prescription. This refluxed acid can cause inflammation of the lower part of your oesophagus, which can mean you may:. If you have the symptoms listed, see your doctor. Hiatus hernias can usually be diagnosed by an x-ray or an endoscopy. If you are experiencing symptoms, the best treatment is to make lifestyle changes see below , and, if necessary, take medicine. Surgery is usually only recommended if other treatments haven't worked.