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Hiatas Hernia Symptoms

A hernia is a term doctors use to describe one part of the body protruding into a part of the body where it does not belong. For example, a herniated disc is a disc in the spine protruding out of the spine and putting pressure on nerve endings or possibly the spinal chord itself. A hiatal hernia is found in the abdomen.

  1. Identification

    • As the esophagus passes through the diaphragm on the way to the stomach, it passes through an opening in the diaphragm. The esophagus meets the stomach at the diaphragm; if the stomach begins to push up through the diaphragm, this causes a hiatal hernia. People can experience a minor hiatal hernia and not even realize it, while other hernias can become uncomfortable and require immediate medical attention.

    Effects

    • Minor hiatal hernias are not known to have any symptoms at all. Symptoms of a larger hiatal hernia include chest pain, uncontrolled belching, unexplained nausea and persistent heartburn. In most cases, these symptoms can be amplified when the person either bends forward or attempts to lift any heavy object. Pregnancy can also bring on the symptoms of a hiatal hernia.

    Potential

    • More severe cases of a hiatal hernia involve the stomach becoming entangled with the diaphragm; this can impede the flow of blood to the stomach. When this occurs, the person may experience severe pains in the chest and a condition known as dysphagia, which is the inability to swallow.

    Considerations

    • Hiatal hernia can also cause what are known as meal symptoms. Meal symptoms appear immediately after eating a meal and include uncontrollable gas, nausea, swelling and pain in the abdominal region along with an inability to swallow food, numbness or abnormal tingling in the extremities and uncontrollable vomiting. Meal symptoms are not exclusive to a hiatal hernia, however. They could be symptoms of a number of other digestive and nervous disorders. The appearance of meal symptoms should be reported to your physician immediately.

    Misconceptions

    • Heartburn and acid reflux are common symptoms of a hiatal hernia, but they can also be a common effect of eating a meal. Both symptoms can appear as a result of a hiatal hernia, or they can appear simply by lying down after a large meal. When a person lies down after a large mean, gravity causes food and stomach acids to travel up and down the esophagus, causing heartburn and the feeling of acid reflux.

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