A Hiatal Hernia happens when your upper part of the stomach pushes upwards into your chest through an opening in the diaphragm(it is a large muscle that separates your abdomen and chest). This opening is termed as hiatus, so it is also called hiatus hernia.
Symptoms Of Hiatal Hernia
Most of the people with hiatal hernia don’t show any symptoms because they might be small. In case of larger Hiatal hernias the symptoms include:
- Heartburn
- Acid reflux
- Chest pain
- Burping
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Stomach upset, vomiting and Bloating
- Regurgitation of food or liquids back into the mouth from stomach
- Shortness of breath
Causes Of Hiatal Hernia
The exact cause of Hiatal hernias is yet to know. It may occur week muscle tissue that allows your stomach to push up through the diaphragm into your chest. Some of the possible causes include:
- Increasing age tends to change your diaphragm
- An injury that damages or weakening your muscle tissue
- Being born with large hiatus
- Obesity
- Smoking
Another cause is due to excessive pressure on the muscles surrounding the stomach. This might happen while coughing, vomiting, straining during bowel movements, and lifting heavy objects etc.
Treatment For Hiatal Hernia
Most people with the condition may not experience any symptoms and surgery is also not compulsory. If you experience any symptoms you may need medication or surgery. There are different types of surgical procedures available to treat hiatal hernia which includes laparoscopic fundoplication or keyhole surgery, open surgical repairs, and endoluminal fundoplication.
Laparoscopic Fundoplication
Hiatal hernia is commonly treated through Nissen fundoplication surgery. This is a minimally invasive procedure performed with the help of a laparoscopic. The laparoscopic surgeon makes a few small incisions in the abdomen and inserts a laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera head and a light, into your abdomen to repair the hernia.