I have a 3-4cm sliding h. hernia. i forgot to ask my gi doc-do these tend to get bigger over time? my gma had a huge inoperable one and died from it.

Yes: Yes the can get bigger overtime. Chew your food well, don't overstuff your stomach & keep a reasonable weight. These are good preventative measures but still sometimes they get bigger anyway.

Usually: The natural history of most untreated hiatal hernias is that they slowly get bigger over time. This is usually a slow process and takes many years.