A hiatus hernia is a special type of hernia that affects the stomach and lower part of the oesophagus (gullet or food pipe). This type of hernia differs from all others in that it is an internal hernia and is not obviously visible. The term hiatus refers to an opening in the diaphragm - a thin muscular sheet that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen. The oesophagus passes through the hiatus and attaches to the stomach.
A hiatus hernia (also called a hiatal hernia) occurs when part of the stomach slides or bulges up into the chest through the diaphragm. This is a very common condition that frequently does not cause any problems. In fact, about half of people with this type of hernia experience no symptoms at all while others may suffer from acid indigestion. With time the stomach acid may irritate the oesophagus giving rise to reflux oesophagitis or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
There are two main types of hiatus hernia: sliding and paraoesophageal
Sliding hiatus hernia: The stomach and the oesophagus slide up into the chest through the hiatus. This is the more common type of hiatus hernia.
Paraoesophageal hernia: This hernia is less common, but can be a cause for concern. The oesophagus and most of the stomach stay in their normal locations, however part of the stomach squeezes through the hiatus and lies alongside the oesophagus. Although this type of hernia may not produce any symptoms, the danger is that the stomach can become ‘strangled’ or have its blood supply cut off.
The content contained within this website is not produced by BMI Healthcare Limited (BMI) and BMI shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies. BMI also does not guarantee the website timeliness, completeness or performance.
