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Hiatal Hernia
What is Hiatal Hernia?
Hiatal Hernia is a health condition where part of the stomach protrudes up into the chest area through a small opening in the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm muscle is located just under your lungs and is used for breathing. When you breathe, you are contracting and relaxing your diaphragm muscle. The small opening in the diaphragm muscle is for the esophagus. The esophagus is the “food tube” extending from the moth to the stomach. When you eat or drink, the food or liquid travels through the esophagus to the stomach. This small opening in the diaphragm is called the hiatus. When a part of the stomach pushes up through the hiatus, its called a Hiatal hernia.
Tired of living with painful hiatal hernia symptoms? Allow our Crystal Lake chiropractors to relieve your pain today by contacting us.
While a small Hiatal hernia typically will not cause pain or discomfort, if left untreated, these hernias get larger and cause symptoms such as:
- Chest pain
- Heartburn
- Acid reflux
- Difficulty swallowing
- Frequent burping
Hiatal hernias are very common, but the exact cause is unknown. The condition may be due to either an inherent weakness of the supporting tissue or weakness that comes with age. The problem occurs often in people over 50 years old. Children with this condition are usually born with it.
There are many disease processes that mimic the signs and symptoms of Acid reflux or heartburn. The underlying cause could be your central nervous system. When there are interferences in the central nervous system (know as subluxations) the systems of the body are not able to function at peak levels. Our chiropractic physicians have extensive training and experience with the central nervous system that allows us to diagnose, target and successfully treat underlying causes of health conditions such as Hiatal hernias. Our team of dietitians will also place you on a hiatal hernia diet in order to help expedite your healing process.
