Handling Hiatal Hernia
You have a pain in your chest. You are experiencing heartburn. You could have hiatal hernia.
A hiatal hernia is a bulging of the stomach into the chest. The bulge occurs at the site where the swallowing tube—the esophagus—passes through the diaphragm muscle to join the stomach.
For many people, a hiatal hernia causes no problem. For others, heartburn is the result when stomach acid erupts into the esophagus or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). It often happens to people with hiatal hernia. You can have both a hiatal hernia and GERD. GERD can be quite painful.
Several factors account for the development of a hiatal hernia. Congenital abnormalities may produce abnormally short esophagus length or enlarged size of hiatal passage even from birth.
As people age, muscle tone tends to relax. With relaxation of the opening within the diaphragm muscle, the tendency of a hiatal hernia to form is increased.
In fact, some studies indicate that a large percentage of persons over the age of 70 will exhibit varying degrees of hiatal hernia formation.
Another factor for their appearance is with an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, such as excessive weight gain or obesity. Pregnancy tends to cause similar effects as the uterus enlarges with fetal development and growth.
Chest pain is the most common symptom. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting or a heartburn feeling. Non-cardiac chest pressure and pain is quite often the result of irritation and spasm of the esophagus and stomach from the presence of a hiatal hernia.
This pain may be in the anterior chest, upper abdomen, upper back area, and may radiate very similarly to cardiac pain which is known as angina.
Many times, admission to the hospital for observation and formal work-up of these symptoms is the only way to distinguish hiatal hernia pain from the pain sustained from a heart attack.
Since the heartburn is the issue, antacids taken one and three hours after eating and again at bedtime, often quiet the burning pain of stomach acid in the esophagus. For even more effective relief, try medicines that reduce acid production like Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac (ranitidine).
In order to seek out solutions regarding your condition, you will need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist. That doctor may want to perform an endoscopy, a test to examine your esophagus and stomach to determine if more than a hiatal hernia is present. For example, you could have an ulcer that resists therapy or the continuing irritation of the reflux may have produced a complication known as Barrett’s esophagus.
Some lifestyle changes may be in order to keep stomach acid in check. Don’t smoke. Avoid fatty foods. Don’t drink coffee, not even decaffeinated coffee. Keep away from chocolates, peppermints, alcohol, orange juice and tomato juice. Elevate the head of your bed by putting 6-inch blocks underneath the bedposts. Take two tablespoons of antacids one and three hours after eating and again before retiring to neutralize stomach acid. Take cimetidine, ranitidine or famotidine to decrease the production of stomach acid and quell heartburn pain. If any of those medicines don’t work, your doctor can subscribe stronger drugs that are more effective.
Sometimes surgery may be the solution with issues of GERD. One popular procedure is the Nissen fundoplication. The surgeon wraps a collar of tissue around the top of the stomach to prevent acid from shooting into the esophagus. Surgery eliminates symptoms in 90 percent of patients. Chances are you will not need surgery, so effective are medicines in treating heartburn.
If you have any questions regarding a hiatal hernia, contact your health provider. And remember this condition is treatable.
