Hiatal hernia is not a condition that is well accepted by the medical community, but affects an estimated 15 percent of Americans, though the actual numbers are suspected to be much higher. Most people suffering from Hiatal hernia aren’t aware of it, and may attribute the symptoms to things that are far more innocuous. A Hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach, in whole or in part, protrudes up through the natural opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus.

Causes of Hiatal hernia are many, and easy to overlook. Lying down sooner than 3 hours after eating, smoking, drinking alcohol, consuming refined sugar, placing strain on the abdomen, using poor posture and improperly lifting heavy weight, can all contribute to the development of a Hiatal hernia.

When the stomach is capable of changing positions and moving up and down through the hiatus, this is called a sliding Hiatal hernia. With proper awareness, care and effort, this can potentially be corrected. A Hiatal hernia can take on a malignant and dangerous form, however, called a strangulated or paraesophageal Hiatal hernia. This is where the stomach becomes stuck in the hiatus and cannot move back down. In some cases, blood flow may be entirely cut off from the portion of the stomach that is stuck above the hiatus. In these cases the condition can be life threatening, and emergency surgery is an absolute must.

Both a sliding Hiatal hernia and a strangulated Hiatal hernia may present similar symptoms, but those of strangulation are much more severe. Symptoms of a strangulated Hiatal hernia usually include severe pain in the chest, nausea and dry heaving and vomiting. It is, perhaps, unsurprising that these symptoms are known as a false heart attack. Other symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, chronic, uncontrollable acid reflux and pain in the stomach. Please be aware that strangulation is a dangerous situation and warrants a trip to the emergency room immediately!

Strangulation means that the blood flow to a portion of the stomach has been cut off, and may cause death of tissues if not taken care of immediately. To repair a strangulate Hiatal hernia, a surgeon will move the stomach back down to the proper location and stitch the hiatus closed around the esophagus. Unfortunately, a great number of people experience further or worsened problems after this surgery due to internal scarring.

Obviously, the best policy for dealing with a strangulated Hiatal hernia is to avoid getting it in the first place. Avoid lying down immediately after eating. Try to keep from drinking liquids, especially cold ones, half an hour before, during and after meals. Learn the proper way to lift weight, prevent strain on the abdomen and make an effort to maintain good posture. Make certain to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetable, use lots of spices like cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne, and consider taking digestive enzymes. It is also important to avoid stress, as it tends to make the body’s muscles tight and prone to injury, and avoid straining during bowel movements.

Find out everything you need to know about strangulated Hiatal Hernia by visiting Reflux Remedy at refluxremedy.com today!

A sliding Hiatal Hernia is the more common form of Hiatal Hernia, and it happens when the stomach pushes through an opening in the diaphragm and encroaches on the esophagus. It can be rather painful and cause sudden, and severe, heartburn.

While most Hiatal Hernia?s are not severe, medication can be prescribed to assist with the symptoms. However, there are actually several things you can do as far as self help for a sliding Hiatal Hernia. But, please note, these techniques are not meant to replace medical treatment. Always consult with your physician if you suspect you have a Hiatal Hernia or other gastrointestinal disorder, and together you can decide on the best course of action.

Some things you can do to help your sliding Hiatal Hernia include simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating right and providing your body with proper nutrition helps it have the appropriate building blocks to heal. You can even focus on foods that are high in vitamins and antioxidants to try and speed the healing process ? things blueberries and other so called super foods should help.

Also, add things to your diet that will help with digestion. The fatty acids found in foods like Fish, or digestive enzymes found in papaya help to break down food and minimize stress on your stomach at meal time.

Eating smaller meals more often may also help with digestion and reducing heartburn and pain. If you flood your stomach with food all at once, it gets stressed out and overproduces stomach acids in order to break everything down in a timely fashion. However, this excess of acid irritates your stomach, and can prevent your hernia from healing. So, by presenting your stomach with smaller amounts of food over a longer period of time, it can better handle the digestive process.

Smoking is also very detrimental to all of your body?s health systems, including the gastrointestinal system. Smoking actually sends stomach acid production into overdrive, which irritates a hernia. It also slows the healing process, which means it will take all that much longer for your stomach to go back to where it belongs. Quitting will eliminate all these factors.

Believe it or not, a massage may help. Put your fingers just below your breast bone and rub downward. Do this a few times a day for one minute each time. It may be painful at first, so go easy, but ? like exercise ? over time it will become less sensitive. If you do it over the course of a week or two, it will help push the stomach back down where it belongs.

Reduce the stress levels in your life. This will help keep stomach acid production at a normal level, and will relax muscles around the affected area, allowing it to naturally fall back into place. Try practicing meditation, take deep breaths, if you feel stress coming on count to ten or put on some soothing music. This will help your body heal quickly and naturally.

For more self help for sliding Hiatal Hernia, read The Reflux Remedy Report at www.refluxremedy.com. It has a huge range of natural remedies for all kinds of causes of acid reflux, including Hiatal Hernias. So what are you waiting for? You could be on your way to healing right now!

A hernia is generally defined as the displacement or protrusion of an organ through a hole or into a cavity.? There are two types of hernias related to acid reflux – Sliding Hiatal Hernia and Para-Esophageal Hiatal Hernia.

Sliding Hiatal Hernia

Sliding Hiatal Hernias are the most common.? They occur when the muscle at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach – the lower esophageal sphincter – becomes too relaxed.? This allows the diaphragm to become displaced and a portion of the stomach to pass into the lower esophagus.

Roughly half of people with a Sliding Hiatal Hernia don’t suffer symptoms.? If symptoms do occur they are identical to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, and can include heartburn, acid reflux, regurgitation and frequent belching and hiccups.

Treatments can include over the counter antacids or prescription drugs; a change in diet that involves eating smaller, more frequent meals, or eliminates foods like citrus, alcohol, caffeine, garlic, mint, or any other foods that would cause heartburn; quitting smoking; eliminating tight clothing which can cause pressure on the stomach resulting in reflux; and taking care not to lie down too quickly after eating.? If symptoms are severe, surgery may be necessary and would involve pulling the stomach down and tightening the opening to the stomach, which would prevent recurrence.

Para-Esophageal Hiatal Hernia

Para-Esophageal Hiatal Hernias are slightly more severe than Sliding Hiatal Hernias.? They occur when a portion of the stomach becomes displaced and ends up next to the esophagus.? This condition can be problematic as a result of complications associated with it.? Strangulation can occur when blood can’t get to the affected area, resulting in tissue death.? It can also put pressure on the esophagus, causing food to lodge there after swallowing.? Ulcers can also form from damage caused by food stuck in the esophagus or stomach acid.

Most Para-Esophageal Hiatal Hernia’s aren’t symptomatic, but if there are, symptoms can include nausea, chest pain and pressure, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and trouble swallowing.

The complications due to an untreated hernia can become severe, so early surgical intervention is the most successful treatment for Para-Esophageal Hiatal Hernia.

Diagnosing Hiatal Hernia

A doctor can diagnose a Hiatal Hernia many ways; however a few tests are used regularly.? An upright chest x-ray can be performed.? This would reveal any obvious abnormalities to the esophagus and stomach.? A barium x-ray involves digesting barium, a thick solution that is visible under x-rays.? Or, an upper endoscopy could also be performed, which involves a physician inserting a lighted tube to search for problems in the esophagus and upper stomach.

Whether you suffer from symptoms of hiatal hernia that involve lower back pain or not, this report can help you.

First, did you know there are 2 main types of hiatal hernia?

1. A sliding hiatal hernia

2. A rolling hiatal hernia

Both types of hiatal hernias can trigger back pain issues.

The ?sliding hiatal hernia? shows up about 95% of the time. This kind of hernia happens when the part of your throat (esophagus) which is normally even with, or below, the main muscle (diaphragm) that separates your stomach area from your throat area, moves above . . . ?sliding-up some stomach along with it.

A sliding hiatal hernia is a result of a weakened or damaged opening between your throat and stomach sometimes referred to as the gastroesophageal junction.

The ?rolling hiatal hernia?, is also called the ?paraesophageal? hiatal hernia. This happens when your stomach literally protrudes (herniates) right through the opening that separates the throat area and stomach area. This opening is called the esophageal hiatus. The ?rolling? hernia refers to a significant part of the stomach actually rolling up alongside the esophagus, but without disturbing the natural opening where the stomach and throat are kept separated.

So many health issues can lead people to false conclusions. A hiatal hernia is especially deceptive because many of the symptoms like back pain, seem to suggest different causes, or health problems all together

Back pains from hiatal hernias can turn into dull chest pains; heart palpitations and even shortness of breath.

Neuro-gastroenterologists have discovered that the whole gastrointestinal system, Central Nervous System (CNS) and brain are all interconnected by a vast and complex electro-chemical nerve matrix.

One of these major nerve connections is called the ?vagus nerve? Once this nerve is exposed to acid reflux or irritated by gastrointestinal juices; it can cause bronchial spasms, affect circulation and trigger an aching back by inflaming, or constricting large back muscles, resulting in a lot of back pain issues.

It?s not uncommon for people suffering from hiatal hernias to not notice any back pain symptoms, palpitations or breathing problems. Usually they think all they have is acid reflux, heartburn or a gastrointestinal problem.

As you can imagine having a ?sliding? or ?rolling? hiatal hernia would easily allow nasty tasting bile salts, stomach acid and heartburn air up into your throat, mouth and even sinus cavities . . . not a pleasant though is it.

Fact is your back pains maybe the least of your worries.

Here are some hiatal hernia ?risk factors? that could also trigger back pain and other problems too:

? Being over weight

? Constipation

? Frequent coughing

? Vomiting

? Sneezing

? Pregnancy

? Heavy lifting

Some of the proven exercises that relieve pressure on your diaphragm and hiatal hernia will cure your back pain and other problems as well. The secret is to address the root cause of as many symptoms as possible. Because hiatal hernias can have so many symptoms that seem unrelated, a holistic or naturopathic approach is often the only, or best, way to a lasting solution . . . certainly worth looking into!

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass?

Health Ecologist