What To Do About An Esophageal Hernia, Doctor Explains

A viewer is asking about what can be done for an esophageal hernia. Doctor Lacy Anderson has the answer. 

Anderson says it sounds like something called a hiatal hernia. This is a different type of hernia that affects the stomach.  

It’s not caused by weak abdominal muscles like a classic hernia. This type of hernia causes the stomach to move upward and herniate through an opening in the diaphragm.  

The diaphragm is a large muscle that is used for breathing. There are 2 openings in the diaphragm: one for the esophagus which allows food to travel to the stomach and a second opening for the large artery and vein bringing blood toward the heart and away to the rest of the body.   

Sometimes, part of the stomach can protrude upward through this opening and partly into the chest cavity. If the hernia is small, it can cause symptoms of acid reflux, which could be mild or more severe. Usually, we would treat this with acid reflux medications like generic Prilosec, Nexium, or Protonix.   

If medication doesn’t help, or if the hernia is large and causing difficulty with breathing, then surgery can be done to pull the stomach back down into the correct location. This is called a fundoplication.  

Be sure and talk to your doctor about treatment options.