What is a Hiatal Hernia (in the stomach)?? What are the symptoms and what is it caused by?
Answer:
Yes bulimia can certainly contribute to the development of a hiatal hernia. Hiatal hernia is when the stomach slips up through the hole in the diaphragm that the esophagus normally comes through. Frequent vomiting, which strains the gastroesophogeal junction, could weaken that area and cause a hernia. Symptoms are usually heartburn, nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort. The main thing that usually causes it is obesity.
Hiatal hernia is a common chronic condition, not an acute one. Normally nothing is done about it unless it is causing severe symptoms.
Most small hiatal hernias cause no problems. But larger hernias may cause heartburn, belching or chest pain when stomach acids back up into your food pipe (esophagus). These signs and symptoms tend to become worse when you lean forward, strain, lift heavy objects or lie down, and they can also worsen during pregnancy.
Hernias occur when one part of the body protrudes through a gap or opening into another part. And although a hernia can theoretically develop almost anywhere, most are in the abdominal area. This includes hiatal hernias — also known as diaphragmatic hernias — which form at the opening in your diaphragm where your food pipe joins your stomach.
In rare cases, the part of your stomach that protrudes into your chest cavity may become twisted (strangulated) or have its blood supply cut off, leading to:
Severe chest pain
Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
Obstruction of your esophagus
The base of the esophagus, the tube your food goes down has to pass through a gap in the diaphragm called the hiatus in order to get to the stomach.
If the stomach starts to bulge out through that gap it's a hernia, and since it is squeezing out through the hiatus that makes it a hiatal hernia.
This is a bad thing because the stomach can get trapped in the hiatus and pinched. This can prevent food from getting down, bit it can also allow acid to go back up the esophagus.
Hiatal hernias can hurt as much as a heart attack and definitely need attention.
The medicine and health information post by website user , ByeDR.com not guarantee correctness , is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
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