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About Hiatal Hernia & Exercise

The abdomen and chest cavities are separated by a muscle that facilitates breathing. A tear in this muscle results in a hernia, allowing parts of the digestive tract to travel into the chest cavity. Exercise often increases the stress on the abdomen, worsening symptoms. Surgery might be necessary, so anyone with symptoms of a hiatal hernia should see a physician.

  1. Diaphragm muscle

    • Separating the abdomen from the chest cavity is a muscle called the diaphragm, which is responsible for breathing. The muscle contracts to push air out of the lungs and stretches to suck air in. This muscle attaches to the body wall, making it a continuous wall separating the abdomen from the chest cavity. It has one opening where the esophagus travels down from the chest cavity to the abdominal cavity.

    Hernia

    • A hiatal hernia occurs when the opening for the esophagus in the diaphragm widens, allowing tissue to move into the chest cavity. This hole can be small, causing almost no symptoms, or it can be large enough to allow part of the stomach to travel into the chest. In adults, an injury is often the cause of this condition. Children with a hiatal hernia were typically born with the defect.

    Symptoms

    • The opening in the diaphragm allows some stomach acid to travel into the esophagus, causing heartburn in most patients. If the opening is large, breathing can become difficult. Patients will often feel nauseated because the digestive tract has trouble working normally. In severe cases, a patient will experience severe chest pains and shortness of breath.

    Exercise

    • Exercise worsens hiatal hernia symptoms because it puts the abdomen under pressure. This can cause more tissue to move up into the chest cavity and make it harder to breathe, increase nausea and sometimes even expand the hole in the diaphragm. Moderate exercise may cause no problems for a person with a small hiatal hernia, or it may cause acid reflux.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for small hernias consists of medications to counteract the heartburn experienced from backed-up stomach acid. In more severe cases, surgery is needed to repair the damaged muscle and close the enlarged opening. Medications will often be required, also, to heal damage done by stomach acid.

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