A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach bulges upward out of your belly and into your chest cavity. There are three main types of hiatal hernia: sliding, paraesophageal, and mixed. A sliding hiatal hernia is the most common type and is generally not a serious condition.
Treatment Hiatal Hernia
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- Elevate the head of your bed by installing the Sleepcliner™! Simple gravity helps prevent stomach acid from coming back into the throat and protects the esophagus from acid damage. Doctors recommend elevating the head of the bed 6″ - 7″.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- Relax. Sit down when you eat and chew completely. Play soothing music. Deep breathing, meditation, tai chi, yoga, or massage may also help prevent and relieve heartburn.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- The great majority of patients can be managed by a conservative program. Every effort must be made to enlist the aid of gravity in preventing reflux at night. The patient should not lie down after meals and should not eat a late meal before bedtime. The head of the patient’s bed should be elevated on six inch blocks; attempting to sleep propped up on pillows almost never succeeds.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- Chew gum. It can increase saliva production and soothe the esophagus.
Consult with your doctor and/or pharmacist. Some drugs increase your susceptibility to acid reflux; aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogen, narcotics, some depression medications and some asthma medications can make your condition worse.
Don’t be misled by wedges or adjustable beds that bend at the waist. They can actually make the situation worse by forcing stomach acid up into the esophagus.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- Certain problems — like a herniated or ruptured disk causing pain — can be relieved by surgery. But most back pain is treated non-surgically. An interesting finding here is that most of the time, back pain goes away with or without medical treatment. Nearly everyone improves. But “getting better” does not necessarily mean “pain free.” Elevating the legs or upper body while you sleep is known to help relieve pain in the upper or lower back. Discuss this with your doctor, and if he or she recommends an adjustable bed– Sleep Comfort is a brand you should seriously consider.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. Nicotine from tobacco relaxes the valve between the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter, or LES). This can allow stomach acid and juices to back up (reflux) into the esophagus, which cause the symptoms of heartburn.
How To Treat Hiatal Hernia- Change your eating habits. For example, avoid coffee and alcohol, and eat smaller, more frequent meals. This may make heartburn less likely to occur. Take your spouse or partner along with you when you see your doctor to discuss diet habits. It will be easier to make changes in your diet if your family understands what you need to do and why.
