Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Hiatal Hernia

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A HIATAL HERNIA?
Typically, most people who develop this type of hernia don’t present any symptoms. This is because most instances of hiatuses are either small or medium. When a hernia gets bigger, it can make undigested food and stomach acids flow back into your esophagus.

In this case, patients can present several different GERD symptoms, including:

Heartburn
Chest pain
Abdominal pain
Shortness of breath
Vomiting blood
Bloody stools
Difficulty swallowing
Frequent burping
Bitter taste in the mouth
Sore throat
Fatigue

WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR HERNIAS?

Your doctor will tailor the level of treatment based on the development of the hernia and your health concerns. As stated, you can treat small to medium-sized hernias with self care and medications. Typically, prescribed or over-the-counter medications will inhibit the production of stomach acid. This way, the stomach acid has a lower risk of flowing back up the throat and causing heartburn.

Lifestyle changes to treat acid reflux and hiatal hernias include:

eating small meals throughout the day
losing weight if you are overweight
avoiding certain foods
Foods to avoid include:

tomatoes
citrus
high-fat and fried foods
chocolate
caffeine
alcohol

IS THE SURGERY TO REPAIR A HIATAL HERNIA WORTH IT?

If you find out that you have developed a hiatus hernia, yet are not presenting symptoms, surgery may not be worth it yet. On the other hand, if you experience frequent and highly irritating acid reflux symptoms, it could be time to talk to your doctor about receiving surgery.