Hiatal Hernia: A Pain In The Stomach

By Author: Dr. Victor Marchione
Total Articles: 90
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A “hiatal hernia” happens when a portion of your stomach bulges above your diaphragm. This is usually caused by a stretching of the diaphragm muscle. Normally, this muscle fits snugly around the esophagus and keeps the stomach from pushing up into the chest cavity.
When you have a hiatal hernia, you may find that you suffer from heartburn. Sometimes a hiatal hernia can also cause irritation of the esophagus.
It may be difficult to tell whether you have an ulcer or a hiatal hernia. Here’s one way to try to figure out which is causing your symptoms: if symptoms are worse on an empty stomach, you probably have an ulcer; if symptoms are worse when you eat, then it’s likely that you have a hernia. Hiatal hernias can also bother you after you drink too much, when you eat and lie down and when you eat and bend over.

Tackling the Problem
So what can you do if you think that you have a hiatal hernia? First of all, get checked out by a doctor. Hiatal hernias can sometimes have similar symptoms ...
... to heart problems. You want to determine that a hernia is all you’re dealing with, and not something more serious.
If you experience shortness of breath, light-headedness, pain radiating into your neck and shoulder or pain when swallowing, get help right away. These may be signs that your heart is having serious trouble.
Once you’ve determined that the cause of your uncomfortable symptoms is a hiatal hernia, there are a number of alternative remedies that you can try. Most people with a hiatal hernia suffer from heartburn, so most treatments center around reducing the symptoms of this condition.

Cut Down On Fatty Foods
The reason that cutting down on fatty foods will reduce the number of symptoms that you get with hiatal hernia is that fatty foods encourage the production of stomach acid. These types of foods remain in your stomach longer than other types of foods do. Consequently, more stomach acid is needed to digest them. Stick to low-fat choices when it comes to dairy and meats.
Reduce Intake of Coffee & Tea
Coffee and tea will also increase the acid production in your stomach, setting the stage for heartburn attacks. Other foods that trigger stomach-acid production are citrus fruits, tomatoes and onions. Try reducing your intake of these foods, and see if your symptoms improve.

Don’t Lie Down Right After Eating
Many people will eat a big meal and then lie down to digest the meal. Your stomach has to fight gravity when you do this. Stomach acid is much more likely to flush back into your esophagus when you’re lying down. Stay in a sitting position after eating, or even better, go for a leisurely walk.
Try to avoid bending or stooping over after a meal, as well. This will cause the same problem with acid traveling up your esophagus.
Finally, don’t eat and then go to bed. Try to eat the last meal of the day three hours before you go to bed.

Elevate Your Head
When you do go to sleep for the night, try this trick to relieve symptoms caused by a hiatal hernia: elevate the head of your bed. You can use wood blocks to raise your bed about three inches off the floor. This way, when you lie down, you will be certain that your head will be higher than your feet when you’re sleeping. By doing this, you’ll be helping prevent stomach acid from moving back out of your stomach and into your esophagus. Another trick is to lie on your left side. According to researchers, lying on your right side can cause stomach acid to wash into your esophagus.

Take Acidophilus Tablets
For better and more efficient digestion, try taking “acidophilus” supplements. Acidophilus is a beneficial bacteria that promotes a healthy gut. You can use acidophilus supplements to keep harmful bacteria in check. The more efficiently your digestive system breaks down foods and eliminates wastes, the less likely you are to suffer from heartburn.

Go Easy on Antibiotics & NSAIDS
Antibiotics like “tetracycline” can irritate the lining of your stomach. The same goes for anti-inflammatory drugs in the “NSAID” category. If you take either of these types of medication before lying down, they could irritate the lining of your esophagus. In some people, these drugs can even cause gastric ulcers and stomach bleeding.
Following these strategies could significantly reduce the painful and uncomfortable symptoms that are caused by a hiatal hernia. Although surgery is sometimes recommended to repair stretched or damaged muscles in the diaphragm, if you reduce the symptoms, you may find that surgery is unnecessary when it comes to dealing with a hernia.

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