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Most small hiatal hernias don’t cause symptoms and are never discovered. But, larger hernias can cause these symptoms:
Check with your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:
Get medical help immediately if:
The exact causes are not known, but it’s a common condition in adults. As many as 10 out of 100 people who are over age 40 have a hiatal hernia. The chances for getting it increase as a person gets older.
Other things that increase your chances for getting hiatal hernia include:
Your doctor may discover a hiatal hernia when trying to find the cause of heartburn or another symptom.
Tests that show you have a hernia may include a/an:
Most people don’t have symptoms and don’t need treatment. But, if your symptoms are bad, your doctor may recommend:
While we don’t know the exact causes of hernias, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk:
A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the top of the stomach bulges through an opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus. The diaphragm is the large muscle that helps you breathe. The diaphragm separates the stomach from the chest. A hiatal hernia moves up into the chest and can cause pain and other symptoms.
There are two types of hiatal hernias: