What is hiatal hernia?

Hernia in diaphragm: A hiatal hernia is a hernia in the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle separating your chest from your abdomen. There is a natural hole where your esophagus passes through from your chest into your abdmoen. If the hole enlarges, the stomach can come up through the hole and into your chest. This is a hiatal hernia.

A hole in diaphragm: A hiatal hernia is when a part of the stomach comes up through a hole in the diaphragm into the chest. The diaphragm is a thin muscle that helps us breath and separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. The most common type of hiatal hernia can cause reflux or heartburn. This is treated with medication and sometimes laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery.

Hiatal hernia: A hiatal hernia is a laxity or defect of the diaphragm where the esophagus travels through the back of the chest into the abdominal cavity and your stomach. Some patients have heartburn associated with hiatal hernias while some do not.

See below: The esophageal hiatus is an anatomical feature traversed by the esophagus on its way from the chest to the abdomen. When muscles and ligaments that define the boundaries of the hiatus weaken or become lax, the upper stomach may transiently or permanently reside in the chest. This is a hiatal hernia. Uncommonly, the entire stomach or other organs (colon, small bowel, spleen) may herniate as well.

Hole in diaphragm: The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest- from the abdominal cavity. Many structures have to go thru the diaphragm in order to enter into the abdominal cavity, including the esophagus, the aorta, and the vena cava. The hiatus is the hole in the diaphragm thru which the esophagus passes. This can enlarge, allowing the stomach to "yo-yo" up into the chest: this is called a hiatal hernia.

Enlarged hiatus: A hiatal hernia is a hernia through the diaphragm. The natural opening where the esophagus comes through the diaphragm enlarges. Sometimes it gets big enough that a significant amount of stomach can get through the hole into the chest. This may or may not be related to reflux disease, which is the most common symptom associated with hiatal hernias.

See below: The esophageal hiatus is an anatomical feature traversed by the esophagus on its way from the chest to the abdomen. When muscles and ligaments that define the boundaries of the hiatus weaken or become lax, the upper stomach may transiently or permanently reside in the chest. This is a hiatal hernia. Uncommonly, the entire stomach or other organs (colon, small bowel, spleen) may herniate as well.

Sliding stomach: A hiatal hernia is not uncommon. The simplest type occurs when the stomach slides up and down across the diaphragm into the chest cavity (thoracic space). This is not like other hernias that you hear about and typically does not need surgical therapy although it may exacerbate reflux and may require medications to control acid production in the stomach. There are other less common types as well.

Diaphragm Hernia: Hiatal hernia is a defect through the diaphragm (muscle separating chest from abdomen). The most common is a simple hernia of part of the stomach into the chest, resulting in reflux symptoms (heart burn). It can be more complex and involve the entire stomach or even the colon and/or the spleen.

Common: This is very common, and usually does not require surgery. It can be repaired as part of an anti-reflux operation, or if it is large, can be repaired to prevent it from getting worse. Very uncommon to have a large hiatal hernia in your 30's . Hope this helps!