Hiatal hernia

I have a small hernia and I get the pain almost all the time.

I almost thought the doctor missed something. I couldn't believe that hernia alone could give me so much grief.

Cheers

My doctor Keeps saying it's the hernia that causes the pain. I think they will tell me a repair is the only way out. But I don't wanna go down the op route yet.

And What does your doctor say?

Well, my doctor says that a 2cm hernia is not serious and certainly does not require surgery. That being said, it can cause pain. I told him about the aching pain I will sometimes get at the base of my sternum that radiates into my chest, back, shoulders, etc. He just said, "that's the hernia."

His advice was to avoid any activities that put pressure on the abdomen which for myself, seeing as I lift weights and workout, means no sit-ups, crunches, dead-lifts, squats, or flat-bench chest presses. This is because abdominal pressure can press the stomach further up through the diaphragm causing more and more pain.

It is certainly true that if I do a bunch of push-ups, I eventually feel a pain in my chest and a pressure/choking feeling higher up in my esophagus right above the collarbone. So ya ....

Wow!!! How do we keep in shape then? Runs and walks maybe? It's really frustrating living with a hh. The pain is there almost all the time. I am getting used to it and just try to convince myself that it's the hernia causing the pain and I hope and pray that it's nothing serious that the doctors just couldn't pick.

I only get some kind of reassurance because my pain is always on left side under my ribs and radiates to the back. But again it could be something else.😔

Well, how I keep in shape involves several activities such as playing basketball, flag football and weightlifting in ways that do not involve putting pressure on the abdomen or lying flat on my back while pushing weight. It is completely doable with adjustments and planning

As far as your situation, did your doctor ever tell you exactly how large your hernia was? Even a "small" hernia can cause pain if irritated or if it sliding to become larger. I have found that if I irritate my hernia, the pain will last for almost 2 weeks. In your case, constant pain that does not subside might suggest the hernia itself is worsening or it is being repeatedly aggravated by something you are doing or reflux.

Cheers

Thanks NC.

I was never told the size of my hernia. The doctor just indicated small hernia. I will try and do some long walks and runs for a start.

Something caught my attention in your reply, do you mean when you have a sliding hernia, the stomach never goes back into position? Does it always slide up and making it bigger? I thought it only slides when you have a flare up. Was I wrong all along? Thanks for that piece of information.

As far as what I could be doing to cause the pain, I still haven't seen any changes in my way of living. Maybe a permanent change in diet? Coz I usually only change my diet when I get a flare up.

Sorry for the long post.

Hey there

So with regards to what a sliding  hiatul hernia acts like, here is a nice definition I found:

A sliding hiatal hernia is a type in which the junction of the esophagus and stomach (referred to as the gastroesophageal junction) and part of the stomach protrude into the chest cavity. Hernias like these are called "sliding" because the herniated part of the stomach can slide back and forth in the cavity as you swallow.

Most small sliding hernias will not cause any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they usually include:

Heartburn

Indigestion

Regurgitation

Belching

Hiccupping

Nausea and vomiting

To further this point, my GI doctor said that I can indeed "force" or "slide" the hernia higher and higher with excessive pressure on the abdomen or when lifting heavy weights. With regards to the relationship between dieting/reflux and the hernia, I do not have a complete understanding. I recently asked one of the nurses at my GI's office if the pain I was experiencing was due to reflux caused by the hernia or due to irritating and inflaming the hernia because of lifting weights? I was trying to better understand if my hernia would flare up only because of reflux or also because of outside, physical pressure applied to the area. She was not wholly certain herself.

I would ask the same question of anyone else here. Does a hiatal hernia cause pain because of reflux only? Or can the hernia itself be irritated and cause pain even when one is following all the reflux-friendly lifestyle choices?

Cheers!

Thanks NC10.

It is so hard to get a full understanding of this condition and I think that in itself makes it worse.

Not knowing what triggers it for sure is really frustrating to me.

I m looking into seeking a second opinion. Which will probably mean another endoscopy and further investigations.

I am really not satisfied with the answers I am getting from my current doctor. It seems they don't have a clear understanding either.

And I have noticed that they would rather treat you as a gastritis patient as opposed to a HH and GERD patient. They could have the same symptoms but are different conditions that need different treatment approaches.

I am really losing patience with my GI and the team at the hospital.

I also think a lot of 'gastritis 'sufferers out there probably have HH but don't even know it.