How to Treat Hiatal Hernia
By Dr Anita on May 05, 2010 with Comments 0
One of the chief symptoms of Haital Hernia is heartburn. In case you have Hiatal Hernia, your stomach is partly displaced up toward esophagus. In the following are a few useful piece of information you’ll find to treat Hernia condition.
Before you chalk out a schedule to deal with this medical condition, you ought to have enough knowledge and judgment of its symptoms, medications and cures.
Signs and Symptoms
At times small hernias don’t reveal any symptoms; large hernias, however, may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Heartburn
- Belching
- Nausea
Test for diagnosis
When your doctor happens to suspect Hiatal Hernia, he will perform any of the following tests to assess your condition:
- Barium Swallow Test
To perform this test you are supposed to intake a milky substance having barium element. On exposure to X-rays, this substance will make you upper digestive tract visible to the naked eye. This would expose if any contents from your stomach were rising in to the esophagus.
- Endoscopy
This test reveals any injury in the esophagus vis-à-vis illuminating interior of your stomach.
Treatment
- Prescription
To do away with the signs of the condition, the kind of medicines the practitioner is most likely to dispense for you may include ones meant for reduction in stomach acidity.
- Surgical Procedure
The sac that causes your esophagus bulge out may be removed surgically or the stomach opening may be tailored to a smaller size. In case of weak esophageal sphincter, the surgeon may reconstruct it.
Medications
In order to reduce the proliferation of acidic secretions, following medications are commonly dispensed to cure hernia:
- Antacids — soothe heartburn.
- H2 Blocker — inhibits acidic secretions.
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI’s) — bars the synthesis of acid in your stomach.
Care you can exercise in domestic setting:
- Don’t wear tight outfits
This will reduce burden on your tummy.
- Small frequent meals
This would prevent the surplus content from getting up to into your esophagus as against three large meals during a day.
- Avoid stomach irritants.
Spicy food, caffeine, chocolates and mints enhance synthesis of acid. You must avoid foods high in acidity such as citrus fruits or the ones having tomatoes as their chief content.
- Fatty foods aggravate the condition
Fatty foods are found to reduce the rate of digestion. This implies that they are going to provide more time for the production of acid in your stomach.
- Avoid lying down / seating immediately post meals
These postures would render it inclined for the contents to slide back upward into your esophagus, specifically in cases where there is weak esophageal sphincter. Sitting posture also allows extra pressure on your stomach.
- Perform some relaxation techniques
Tension and depression are two factors that augment production of acid in your stomach. At times when you are passing a relatively stressed time, try deep breathing activities. In addition to this, you may perform some yoga based meditation to ward off the effects of stress.
Filed Under: Conditions & Treatments