
Medication
Hiatal hernia treatment should also include lifestyle changes for symptom relief, such as avoiding alcohol consumption. Work with your doctor to determine the extent of the condition and the best hiatal hernia treatment for you. A surgeon may use a laparoscopic approach for a hiatal hernia. Some over-the-counter medications, such as antacids ...
Procedures
Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medication, or surgery. Lifestyle changes. Certain changes to eating habits can help to treat the symptoms of a hiatal hernia, but won’t get rid of the hernia.
Self-care
- Bananas and apples
- Green beans, peas, carrots, and broccoli
- Grains, like cereals (bran and oatmeal), bread, rice, pasta, and crackers
- Low-fat or skim milk and low-fat yogurt
- Fat-free cheeses, cream cheese, and fat-free sour cream
- Lean meat, chicken, and fish
- Water
- Pretzels, graham crackers, rice cakes, and baked potato chips
Nutrition
It will also explain what might happen if a person does not seek medical treatment. Can people fix hiatal hernias themselves? It is not possible for a person to make a hiatal hernia go away without medical care. However, hiatal hernias do not require treatment if they are not causing a person to experience symptoms.
How do I choose the best hiatal hernia treatment?
What are the different treatment options for hiatal hernia?
What is the best diet to treat hiatal hernia?
Will hiatal hernia go away on its own?

Can a hiatal hernia be corrected without surgery?
Hiatal hernias that do not cause symptoms do not require immediate treatment. However, symptom-producing hiatal hernias may need to be treated. They do not heal on their own and require surgical intervention. The majority of paraesophageal hernias can be successfully repaired using laparoscopic techniques.
Can hiatal hernias be treated?
While hiatal hernias can often be treated with lifestyle changes or medication, some people may need surgery to repair their hiatal hernias. Surgery to repair a hiatal hernia may involve tightening your diaphragm and pulling the stomach down from the chest cavity back into the abdomen.
What are the warning signs of a hiatal hernia?
SymptomsHeartburn.Regurgitation of food or liquids into the mouth.Backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus (acid reflux)Difficulty swallowing.Chest or abdominal pain.Feeling full soon after you eat.Shortness of breath.Vomiting of blood or passing of black stools, which may indicate gastrointestinal bleeding.
What is the fastest way to cure a hiatal hernia?
Try to:Eat several smaller meals throughout the day rather than a few large meals.Avoid foods that trigger heartburn, such as fatty or fried foods, tomato sauce, alcohol, chocolate, mint, garlic, onion, and caffeine.Avoid lying down after a meal or eating late in the day.Maintain a healthy weight.Stop smoking.More items...•
What happens if a hiatal hernia is left untreated?
If left untreated, Hiatal hernias can rarely become trapped in the chest or strangulated—which means the hernia begins to cut off blood to the entrapped intestine. Strangulated Hiatal hernias can cause sudden pain in the chest and requires immediate medical attention.
What is the best medicine for hiatal hernia?
What is the best medicine for hiatal hernia? Antacids, used to reduce stomach acids, such as Maalox or Tums are available over-the-counter and are often used to treat initial symptoms of a hiatal hernia. Prilosec is a highly recommended prescription drug used to treat hiatal hernia.
When should I be worried about a hiatal hernia?
Get medical care immediately. You are being treated for heartburn or hiatal hernia, and you feel sudden chest or stomach pain, have difficulty swallowing, are vomiting, or are unable to have a bowel movement or pass gas; you may have a hernia that has become obstructed or strangulated, which are emergencies.
Is omeprazole good for hiatal hernia?
Reduce the amount of acid produced by your stomach. They are usually the first treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), which can be a symptom of hiatus hernia and include omeprazole and lansoprazole. For example domperidone and metoclopramide, speed up the rate at which your stomach empties.
How do you treat a hernia?
Hiatal hernias are treated with lifestyle changes and medication or surgery. Specific treatment for a hiatal hernia will be determined by your doctor based on multiple factors, including your general health, anatomy, extent and location of the hernia, and severity of symptoms such as acid reflux.
How to identify a hiatal hernia?
To identify a hiatal hernia, a health care provider may use multiple diagnostic techniques but will begin with a medical history and physical examination. The provider will inquire about and/or look for: Acid reflux. Acidic or “sour” taste in the back of the mouth or throat. Anemia.
What is the name of the hernia that slides up into the chest?
Type II, III and IV hiatal hernias are called paraesophageal hernias.
What is a hernia in the abdomen?
What is a hiatal hernia? Unlike ventral hernias, which protrude through the abdominal wall, a hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach pushes up into the chest through a small opening in the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest.
What happens when you have a hernia in your stomach?
A hiatal hernia results in retention of acid and other contents since the stomach tends to get sque ezed by this opening in the diaphragm. These acids and other substances can easily back up — reflux or regurgitate — into the esophagus. There are four types of hiatal hernias.
Can a hernia be controlled?
Many people do not experience any symptoms related to their hiatal hernia, or their symptoms, like heartburn, are mild. Generally, the symptoms of hiatal hernias can be controlled with lifestyle changes and medication such as:
How to treat hernias?
Lifestyle changes for hiatal hernias 1 Avoid foods in your diet that may trigger reflux symptoms including fatty foods, spicy foods, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, or peppermint. 2 Avoid large meals and eating late at night. 3 Raise the head of your bed (put a foam wedge under the mattress, or wood blocks under the frame – using extra pillows does not help). 4 Lose weight, quit smoking, wear loose clothing, and chew sugarless gum to increase saliva production.
What is the procedure to repair a hernia?
If you have a hiatal hernia and symptoms are severe or the acid reflux causes damage to your esophagus, a surgery called a fundoplication may be necessary. This procedure, which can be done laproscopically, fixes the hiatal hernia and strengthens the muscle of the diaphragm to prevent the hernia from returning.
What to do if you have acid reflux?
If you have mild acid reflux, diet and lifestyle changes are often the first treatment. Avoid foods in your diet that may trigger reflux symptoms including fatty foods, spicy foods, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, or peppermint. Avoid large meals and eating late at night.
Does MedicineNet treat hernias?
Terms of Use. MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information. Often, hiatal hernias do not require treatment. However, if you have symptoms such as gastrosophageal reflux ( GERD) associated with a hiatal hernia may be treated.
How do they do hiatal hernia surgery?
Many hiatal hernia surgeries use a method called laparoscopy. Your doctor will make a few small (5 to 10 millimeter) cuts in your belly. They insert a tool called a laparoscope through these incisions, and it sends pictures to a monitor so your doctor can see inside your body.
How to treat a hernia?
They include: Don’t exercise or lie down for 3 or 4 hours after you eat. Avoid acidic foods like orange juice, tomato sauce, and soda.
What is a hernia in the stomach called?
What Is a Hiatal Hernia ? A hiatal hernia is when your stomach bulges up into your chest through an opening in your diaphragm, the muscle that separates the two areas. The opening is called the hiatus, so this condition is also called a hiatus hernia. There are two main types of hiatal hernias: sliding and paraesophageal.
Why do hiatal hernias happen?
Causes might include: Being born with a larger hiatal opening than usual. Injury to the area. Changes in your diaphragm as you age. A rise in pressure in your belly, as from pregnancy, obesity, coughing, lifting something heavy, or straining on the toilet.
What to do if you have a hernia?
If you have acid reflux, your doctor may suggest medications to treat those symptoms, including: Proton pump inhibitors or H-2 receptor blockers to keep your stomach from making as much acid.
What happens if you have a hernia?
Upset stomach and vomiting. Backflow of food or liquid from your stomach into your mouth. Shortness of breath. Get medical care right away if you have a hiatal hernia and: Severe pain in your chest or belly. Upset stomach. Vomiting.
How to diagnose a hiatal hernia?
To diagnose a hiatal hernia, your doctor may do tests including: Barium swallow. You drink a liquid that shows up on an X-ray so your doctor can get a better look at your esophagus and stomach. Endoscopy. Your doctor puts a long, thin tube called an endoscope down your throat. A camera on the end shows inside your esophagus and stomach.
What is the best medicine for hernia?
Sometimes, a medication called a proton-pump inhibitor might be used to treat hiatal hernia. This medication is another way to decrease the amount of stomach acid you have, which can help prevent reflux. When you take this medication, your body doesn’t make as much stomach acid as normal.
How to repair a hernia?
Surgery for repairing a hiatal hernia involves: Pulling the hiatal hernia back into the abdomen. Improving the valve at the bottom of the esophagus. Closing the hole in the diaphragm muscle. During surgery, your surgeon will wrap the upper part of the stomach (called the fundus) around the lower portion of the esophagus.
What happens if you have a hernia and your stomach is squeezed so tightly that the blood supply
If the portion of the stomach entering the esophagus is being squeezed so tightly that the blood supply is being cut off , you’ll need to have surgery. Surgery may also be needed in people with a hiatal hernia who have severe, long-lasting (chronic) esophageal reflux whose symptoms are not relieved by medical treatments.
What is a hernia in the stomach?
A hiatal hernia is a condition where the top of your stomach bulges through an opening in your diaphragm. This can happen to people of any age and any gender. A hiatal hernia doesn’t always have symptoms, but when it does they are similar to the symptoms of GERD.
What causes a hiatal hernia?
The most common cause of a hiatal hernia is an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity. Your abdominal cavity is the space in the middle of your body that holds several organs, including the: Lower part of the esophagus and stomach. Small intestine, colon and rectum. Liver.
Can a hiatal hernia cause GERD?
Many people with a hiatal hernia never have symptoms. Some people with hiatal hernia have some of the same symptoms as gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD). GERD occurs when digestive juices move from the stomach back into the esophagus. Symptoms of GERD include:
Can you get a hernia while pregnant?
You may experience a hiatal hernia during pregnancy, if you are obese, or if there’s extra fluid in your abdomen. Increased pressure in the abdomen (arrows) causes part of the stomach to push through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
How to fix a hernia without surgery?
Here’s how to fix a hiatal hernia naturally without surgery, with a quick morning exercise. (See video below.) Drink a glass of room temperature or slightly warm water when you get out of bed in the morning. (Skip the coffee, tea, juice, and cold water—just drink warm water.) While standing, bring your arms straight out from your sides ...
Why do you breathe at the end of a hiatal hernia?
The breathing at the end helps close the diaphragm and the hole where your stomach was lodged. As long as you have a hiatal hernia, this is an exercise you’ll have to do every morning to put an end to your acid reflux problems.
What happens when you have a hernia?
But first, a quick explanation of what’s happening when you have a hiatal hernia... Your diaphragm separates the organs in your chest from your stomach and other digestive organs. But in the case of a hiatal hernia, your stomach has breached the divide, worming its way through an enlarged hole at the back of the diaphragm ...
What is the procedure for a hernia?
pantoprazole (Protonix) ra beprazole (Aciphex) Surgery for hiatal hernias typically involves three steps. The surgeon: moves the hiatal hernia from your chest cavity back into your abdomen. repairs the valve in your esophagus where your esophagus joins your stomach. tightens the hole (hiatus) in your diaphragm.
How common is hiatal hernia?
According to the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association (ECAA), hiatal hernias are quite common, occurring in up to 60 percent of people by the time they are 60 years old. They also note that it’s unusual for serious conditions to develop from this type of hernia.
How do you know if you have a hernia?
If you have a hiatal hernia, be aware of symptoms that may indicate blood flow to your stomach has been blocked by an obstruction or a strangulated hernia. Call your doctor immediately if you: can’t pass gas or empty your bowels. feel nauseated. experience vomiting.
What is the best medicine for a swollen abdomen?
taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as antacids, such as Gaviscon (aluminum with magnesium hydroxide) or H-blockers (such as Pepcid AC or famotidine) avoiding tight clothing that can increase the pressure on your abdomen, such as a tight belt, control top hosiery, and body shapers.
What to do when you have a swollen stomach?
self-massage, massaging your abdominal muscles in a downward motion while lying on your back on a flat surface. consuming apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, aloe vera, slippery elm, or chamomile.
How to get rid of a swollen head?
losing weight (if needed) decreasing food portion sizes. eating several smaller meals throughout the day ( as opposed to a few large meals) elevating the head of your bed by 8 inches. avoiding meals 2 to 3 hours before bedtime or before lying down.
Can overweight people get hiatus hernia?
Pandolfino, MD stated that, “Obese people are certainly more prone to the development of hiatus hernia.”. This leads to the conclusion that, if you are overweight, reducing your weight could lower your chances of experiencing a hiatal hernia.
What is the best treatment for a hernia?
The most effective treatment option for curing a hiatal hernia is laparoscopic hernia repair.
How to keep hydration up during hiatal hernia?
It is important for hiatal hernia patients to maintain optimal hydration throughout the day. Drinking water outside the meal times makes sure that the digestive juices are not diluted nor digestion is inhibited. A basic guideline to keep in mind is avoiding drinking an hour before and after meals.
What is the most common type of diaphragmatic hernia?
Hiatal hernia is the most common type of diaphragmatic hernia. The hernia occurs when a part of the stomach pushes through the hiatus (part of the digestive system that connects stomach to the esophagus).
How to help a herniated abdomen?
Self-massage. A simple self-massage can help get relief from the symptoms of hiatal hernia. This works on the uppermost portion of the abdominal cavity. This not only helps to reduce the discomfort and symptoms of hernia but also strengthens the abdominal muscles. You can self massage the herniated area twice daily.
How to get rid of a hernia in the diaphragm?
Just after waking up in the morning, while you are still in bed, drink a glass of lukewarm or room temperature water. This helps to relax the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm, therefore, bringing down the hernia from opening in the diaphragm.
What foods are safe to eat for a person with a hernia?
Some of the foods that are safe to eat are-. -Green vegetables. -Beans and peas. -Lean protein such as fish and chicken. -Non-citrus fruits and juices.
Why do people get hernias?
Chronic stress is a major factor why people develop hiatal hernias. When stress occurs too often or stays too long in the body, these changes can cause a malfunction in the body and lead to displacement such as a hernia.
