subject: Is There A Natural Remedy For Hiatal Hernia Symptoms? [print this page] A hernia occurs when a body part pushes into a place where is shouldn't be. The hiatus is the hole in the diaphragm, which is the wall of muscle that divides the abdomen and chest cavities. So a hiatal hernia occurs when the esophagus (food pipe) and part of the stomach pushes through the hiatus, which is why the terms hiatal hernia and hiatus hernia are oftne used interchangeably.
There are two types of hiatal hernia. A sliding hiatal hernia is the most common and can often go unnoticed. This occurs when the lower part of the esophagus and part of the stomach slide up through the hiatus. The second type of hiatal hernia is called a paraesophageal hernia. A paraesophageal hernia happens when the esophagus stays in place and part of the stomch pushes up through the hiatus. This is more dangerous as strangulation or cutting off of the blood supply to the stomach can occur, which can obviously be quite serious.
A hiatal hernia can occur by itself if you were born with a large hiatus. However a hiatal hernia can also be caused by obesity or pregnancy, which creates extra pressure on the stomach. And of course others incur hiatal hernias due to injury or accidents. Additionally there may be a link between GERDs disease and hiatal hernias as hiatal hernias are often found in those with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), but not always.
The most common symptoms of a hiatal hernia are heartburn and chest pain. However as mentioned above many people may have had a hiatal hernia for quite sometime with feeling any noticeable symptoms. Hiatal hernias are normally discovered by a doctor using xrays.
In some cases surgery can be recommended for patients with a hiatal hernia and in some cases medications and drugs are used to treat reflux symptoms. However these drugs are notorious for their unpleasant and dangerous side effects.
Fortunately there are many natural solutions, remedies and cures for hiatal hernia symptoms. There is not one magic cure or perfect dose for all, everyone is a little different. Some may find easy and quick relief from hiatal hernia symptoms with a minimal amount of a natural remedy, while others will need to work on changing eating and activity habits.
Those with a hiatal hernia can benefit from exercise, not only to build strength around the area, but to aid digestion and metabolic rate as well as boosting the immune system and improving overall health. Therapeutic massages are also great. However certain actions need to be watched after eating. Try not to bend over after meals and don't eat too close to bedtime unless you can sleep with your upper body raised.
Diet is of course one of the most important factors in controlling reflux if you have a hiatal hernia. Too much stomach acid being leaked back into the esophagus not only causes heartburn but can do damage over a period of time. Try eating less spicy and acidic foods.
There are also a wide variety of natural remedies and herbs that can help if you have a hiatal hernia. These include; honey, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, primrose oil, fennel seed and many more...
