Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Hiatal hernia is a condition in which a portion of the stomach protrudes upward into the chest, through an opening in the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the sheet of muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. It is used in breathing.
Alternative Names
Hernia - hiatal
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause is unknown, but hiatal hernias may be the result of a weakening of the supporting tissue. Increasing age,
Children with this condition are usually born with it (congenital). It is often associated with
Hiatal hernias are very common, especially in people over 50 years old. This condition may cause reflux (backflow) of gastric acid from the stomach into the esophagus.
Review Date: 08/01/2009
Reviewed By: Reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.,
and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology,
Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
