Dangers of Hiatal Hernia

Hiatal hernia is a condition in which a portion of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm into the thorax.  There are two types of hiatal hernias.

The first type of hiatal hernia which is common is known as the sliding hiatal hernia. In the sliding hernia lower part of the esophagus cardiac sphincter and a part of the fundus of the stomach enters into the thorax through the diaphragm. This occurs due to a weakness in the esophageal aperture in the diaphragm.

The second type of hiatal hernia is less common and is called paraesophageal hernia. This is a more serious variety of hiatal hernia. In this case, a portion of the stomach forces its way through the aperture in the diaphragm and move into a position next to the esophagus. This situation has grave consequences as the blood supply to the stomach is literally cut off and often leads to tissue death and surgical repair of this condition is also quite difficult.

Hiatal hernia has many causes such as pregnancy, overweight, straining during a bowel movement or increased intra-abdominal pressure due to any cause. Some people who suffer from hiatal hernia may not suffer from the obvious symptoms and often hiatal hernia presents as gastroesophageal reflux disease.

These symptoms of hiatal hernia occur due to malfunctioning of the lower esophageal sphincter. When the sphincter works properly, it stops stomach acid refluxing into esophagus. If the sphincter works poorly, the stomach acid moves into the esophagus causing pain and irritation. The Doctor will get an X-ray or endoscopy done for a conclusive diagnosis.

For effective treatment, abnormality of the esophagus must be properly diagnosed. Some forms of hiatal hernias are serious in nature and may warrant surgery. Therefore, if any one is experiencing symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease which indicates serious form of hiatal hernia, he should at once see the Doctor for diagnosis and proper treatment which is a must.