Did you know you can live with a small hiatal hernia and never know it's there?
Here's what the Mayo Clinic says about hiatal hernias:
"A hernia occurs when one part of the body protrudes through a gap or open
ing into another part. A hiatal hernia forms at the opening in your diaphragm where your food pipe (esophagus) joins your stomach. Part of the stomach pushes through this opening causing a hiatal hernia.
"Most small hiatal hernias don't cause problems, and you may never know you have a hiatal hernia 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 and chest pain. Self-care measures or medications can usually relieve these symptoms, although very large hiatal hernias sometimes need surgical repair."
Symptoms of a hiatal hernia can include heartburn, burping, chest pain and nausea, and are worse when you put extra pressure on the stomach area, for instance by wearing a tight waistband, leaning forward, lifting heavy objects or being pregnant.
You might have a higher risk of hiatal hernia if you're over 50, if you're obese, or if you smoke.
When to see a doctor:
If you have heartburn symptoms that seem severe, happen often, or are accompanied by chest pain, coughing, wheezing, a sore throat or difficulty swallowing, it's good to have it checked out.
Here's the Mayo Clinic page on hiatal hernias:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiatal-hernia/DS00099
And here's a recent story about GRD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, which has some symptoms in common and can be affected by a hiatal hernia:
http://www.nj.com/healthfit/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/122516808880080.xml&coll=1
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