Hiatal hernia and acid reflux are two commonly encountered health problems, which affect numerous individuals all over the world. In many cases these two conditions are linked, acid reflux occurring as a consequence of the patient developing a hernia. In such cases, the first step towards treating the acid reflux is effectively correcting the hernia. Once the hernia has been corrected, minimal treatment is required for the gastro-esophageal reflux disease to be controlled or even cured altogether.

In order to correct the hiatal hernia and acid reflux, there are several options available. In some cases, surgery may be the only valid option, while in others it may not be recommended, as it may weaken the area increasing the risk of a relapse. In such situations, a trained professional (such as a kinesiologist, a massage therapist or a chiropractor) can manually correct the stomach’s position.

In some cases, the patient may even employ a procedure which can help solve the problems caused by hiatal hernia and acid reflux, prior to seeking professional help. The method consists of drinking a pint warm water, which is believed to help relax the diaphragm and the stomach, and then repeatedly standing on the toes and dropping to the heels. By doing so, the water in the stomach will act as extra weight pulling the stomach down and can effectively provide relief in less severe cases.

The patient may also employ nutritional aids to help him control the symptoms caused by hiatal hernia and acid reflux. Some herbs, called mucilaginous herbs, can be ingested to help absorb the gastric secretions, and thus preventing them from refluxing into the esophagus. Examples of such plants are comfrey and slippery elm. While the use of nutritional aids is not meant to replace a permanent corrective solution, it may provide the patient with sufficient immediate relief, as the herbs help protect the patient’s ileocecal valve and reduce irritation.

Patients suffering from hiatal hernia and acid reflux should also reconsider their diet so that it contains foods and substances which help soothe the gastrointestinal system. These include balm, chamomile tea, celery, licorice, papaya, hops, brown rice, coriander, barley water, gentian, ginger root, safflowers, raw cabbage juice and marshmallows. At the same time, they should avoid foods which cause gas, even after a permanent corrective solution has been applied; abdominal gas can force the stomach upwards, increasing the risk of a relapse.

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Hiatal Hernia

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Acid reflux is the common term for gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD, the condition of abnormal reflux that causes mucosal damages. This disease can affect both adults and children or infants, but gives high vulnerability to pregnant women, smokers and people who doze off right after eating without prior rest.

The symptoms of acid reflux are as follows: heartburn, which is characterized by chest pain; inflammation in the mucosa; difficulty in swallowing; cough and hoarseness. These symptoms are felt by the infected person after eating a fatty meal or drinking liquor, when bending, and worse when constantly smoking.

Acid reflux is primarily caused by the malfunction of the esophageal sphincter. In other cases, it can also be brought about by the abnormal production of the gastric acids. If there is insufficient supply of the stomach acid, the valve in the stomach responsible for churning up foods to the intestine does not open up. This irritates the esophagus and leads to inflammation.

Some of the factors that can trigger acid reflux are hiatus hernia, zollinger-elison syndrome, hypercalcemia, scleroderma and systemic sclerosis.

According to paradoxical beliefs, drinking alcohol, tea and coffee can lead to gastro esophageal reflux. But recent studies show that although individuals already infected by this disease can be aggravated by alcohol, tea and coffee, these elements do not cause the disease. Compared to smoking which amplifies the risks of getting the disease, alcohol, tea and coffee had the least impact. But this doesn’t mean that GERD infected people are free to take the beverages stated above. Doctors still suggest avoiding drinking of alcohol in order to shun further aggravation.

Smoking is the chief culprit that causes acid reflux disease. Regular smokers for twenty years are 70% susceptible to acid reflux disease compared to non-smokers. And symptoms of those who already developed the GERD are worsened day by day due to smoking.

The highlight of the research is that great amounts of salts are found to be equivalent to regular smoking in terms of the risk of developing GERD. It is not a common knowledge that table salts can cause acid reflux disease but researchers found out in their studies that people who are constantly using extra salt are 70% at risk to have gastro esophageal reflux disease. Gastroenterologists of New York University Medical Center attested this fact.

Gastro esophageal reflux disease can be diagnosed even by the infected person himself through the appearance of the symptoms. In the occurrence of these symptoms, it is advised to undergo the tests conducted by medical experts to clear doubts of having the disease or to carry out possible treatments. To treat this kind of disorder, there are varieties of ways possible. It can be cured by prescribed drugs such as antacids, by natural way such as change of diet system, elevation of the head when lying down, or to the utmost is surgery. And of course, it will be best to stop or avoid smoking and drinking alcohol especially to people who are vulnerable to acid reflux disease.

Gastro esophageal reflux disease causes a lot of discomfort that it can ruin even your lifestyle. To avoid its bad effects, precautionary measures should be considered. The cliché quote that prevention is better than cure applies always.

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux Causes, Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia

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Animation to show how a sliding hiatus hernia forms.

The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Technorati Tags: Hiatal Hernia

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Acid reflux and hiatal hernia are often encountered together. The latter, as a very common disorder especially among the elderly, can lead to the onset of numerous other medical conditions, including GERD – gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux.

In the case of a healthy individual, the stomach is located under the diaphragm, a muscle which separates the abdominal cavity from the chest. The esophagus passes through the chest and, before reaching the stomach, it goes through an opening in the diaphragm called the esophageal hiatus. In the case of patients suffering from hiatal hernia, the esophageal hiatus is enlarged – situation which can occur as the result of multiple factors, including physical activity or natural aging – and through this enlarged opening, the stomach can protrude into the patient’s chest. This condition is called hiatal hernia and as stated, it may lead to a number of complications including GERD. In such cases, acid reflux and hiatal hernia are linked.

When considering a proper treatment for acid reflux and hiatal hernia, the doctor will need to take into account to causes of the hernia. These may vary greatly from one individual to another, but there are only a few categories of possible causes: mechanical (such as weight lifting, powerful blows, clothing and posture, or hard coughing), medical (obesity, constipation, congenital defects, hereditary disorders) or life style causes (for example smoking and heavy drinking).

There are several types of hiatal hernia. The sliding hiatal hernia is the most often encountered of them, and this condition is characterized by the mobility of the hernia – as in, the upper part of the stomach slides up and down through the enlarged hiatus. Usually small, these hernias may cause no symptoms or complications. Fixed hiatal hernias are situations where the protruding part of the stomach is stuck in the chest; there may be very few symptoms in these cases as well, but the potential for complications is much higher.

In most situations, acid reflux and hiatal hernia are encountered together when the hernia belongs to the third and last category, the serious (or complicated) hiatal hernia. Various other affections may be present in these situations, as well, and the patient requires immediate treatment. The typical treatment options at this stage are surgical procedures.

It is not uncommon for small hiatal hernias to cause absolutely no problems to the patients, and in these cases the patient can learn to live with them, without any treatment being necessary. Larger hernias however tend to cause a number of signs and symptoms, including chest pain, belching and heartburn.

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Acid Reflux Causes, Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia

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Studies have shown that, in most cases, patients diagnosed with GERD follow the treatment for their condition without as much as a thought regarding the causes of acid reflux – in other words, they don’t know what they did wrong in the first place, in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. Health care providers should not only inform their patients of the affections they are suffering from and the appropriate treatments, but also of the causes.

One of the common causes of acid reflux is the increased acidity of the gastric fluids. While everyone experiences gastric reflux, in the case of GERD patients the refluxed substances have a considerably higher acidity. The acid attacks the lining of the esophagus, causing the characteristic burning sensation known as heartburn.

Acid reflux may also occur as a result of a malfunctioning lower esophageal sphincter. This is among the top causes of acid reflux during pregnancy, when the growing baby is also putting pressure on the abdominal internal organs.

Esophageal contractions may also be one of the causes of acid reflux. In some cases, the contractions are so powerful that they force the contents of the stomach back into the esophagus.

Hiatal hernias are another factor which may favor the onset of GERD. A hernia is a situation where the stomach penetrates through the diaphragm and into the chest. This also causes a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter, further increasing the patient’s risk of acid reflux.

There are other causes of acid reflux, however they are less common. Medication or a lower than normal speed of the digestive process can also occasionally lead to GERD. However, although there are numerous factors which may cause or favor the onset of this affection, there are also various means of treating the disease. It is recommended that you consult your personal physician in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis, to learn what caused your illness and how to treat it effectively.

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Acid Reflux Causes, Hiatal Hernia

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Generally, a hernia occurs when one part of the body protrudes through a gap into another part of the body. A hiatal hernia happens at the esophageal hiatus which is the opening through the diaphragm in which the esophagus pass to connect to the stomach. A Hiatal hernia is when a part of the stomach pushes through the esophageal hiatus opening.

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Acid Reflux Causes, Hiatal Hernia

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One of Acid Reflux causes is a Hiatal Hernia.  A hiatal hernia, an anatomical abnormality, occurs when the upper part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm, a respiratory muscle that separates the stomach from the lungs. Hiatal hernias are found in approximately 15% of the population, effecting all age groups but is more prevalent in those individuals who are over 50 years of age.

Normally, the esophagus passes through the diaphragm through a hole called the esophageal hiatus. Just pass the diaphragm the esophagus connects to the stomach.  Individuals with hiatal hernias have a larger then normal esophageal hiatus opening allowing part of the stomach to slip through the opening into the chest.  The hiatal hernia allows acid reflux to occur more readily as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is now above the diaphragm.

To properly diagnosis a hiatal hernia you will need to visit with your doctor. He may refer you to a Gastrologist who specializes in the gastric system which includes the stomach and its diseases.

A common procedure that is used is called the upper endoscopy or EGD. The doctor will use an endoscope, a thin flexible lighted tube, to examine the patient’s esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).

Once you have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia you have two option one is to have it surgically repaired and the second is to simply learn to live with it.

Here are some tips to help live with a hiatal hernia.

• Eat 6 small meals a day rather than 3 large meals
• Try not to eat or drink anything 1 or 2 hours prior to going to bed
• Avoid spicy, acidic or other know foods that cause heartburn
• Avoid bending over after eating
• Avoid Alcohol
• Don’t Smoke, smoking stimulates the production of stomach acid
• Avoid abdominal strain
• Don’t wear clothes that are tight around the stomach
• Try sleeping on an incline with your head and shoulders up
• Use Antacids

Having a hiatal hernia you will more then likely experience the pain associated with acid reflux.  So, it critical that your first line of defense is to control your heartburn.

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