Hiatus hernia (patient information)
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Hiatus hernia | |
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ICD-10 | K44, Q40.1 |
ICD-9 | 553.3, 750.6 |
OMIM | 142400 |
DiseasesDB | 29116 |
eMedicine | med/1012 radio/337 |
MeSH | D006551 |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Jinhui Wu, MD
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What is hiatus hernia?
How do I know if I have hiatus hernia and what are the symptoms of hiatus hernia?
In most patients, hiatus hernias cause no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they usually experience the symptoms like those of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or its complications.
- Heartburn and regurgitation, when stomach acid refluxes back into the esophagus. Chronic reflux of acid into the esophagus may cause injury and bleeding.
- Anemia
- Difficulty swallowing
- Chronic cough, wheezing, and even pneumonia: These symptoms in respiratory system are caused because stomach secretions can seep up the esophagus and into the lungs while sleeping.
Other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can tell for sure. A person with any of these symptoms should tell the doctor so that the problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Who is at risk for hiatus hernia?
- Old people: Muscle weakening and loss of elasticity as people age.
- Pregnacy: Intra-abdominal forces exerted in pregnancy.
- Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as when coughing, vomiting, or straining during a bowel movement or while lifting heavy objects
- Chronic constipation
- Western, fiber-depleted diet
- Obesity
- Chronic esophagitis
- Abdominal ascites
How to know you have hiatus hernia?
- Upper gastrointestinal x-ray: During a barium X-ray, you are asked to drink a chalky liquid containing barium that coats your upper digestive tract. This provides a clear silhouette of the esophagus, stomach and the upper part of the duodenum on an X-ray. During swallows, the hiatal hernia appears as a separate "sac" is delineated by the lower esophageal sphincter above and the diaphragm below, lying between the esophagus and the stomach.
- Endoscopy: During this procedure, after you are sedated, an endoscope which is a thin, flexible, lighted tube was passed down your throat to check for inflammation. Endoscopy is always used to diagnose complications such as erosive esophagitis, ulcers in the hiatal hernia, Barrett esophagus, or tumor.
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for hiatus hernia?
Directions to Hospitals Treating hiatus hernia
Prevention of hiatus hernia
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Copyleft Sources
http://www.gicare.com/Diseases/hiatus-hernia.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/hiatal_hernia/article.htm
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/178393-overview
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiatal-hernia/DS00099/DSECTION=symptoms