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Hiatal hernia picture
Hiatal hernia is a condition in which a portion of the stomach protrudes
upward into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm (the sheet of
muscle used in breathing that separates the chest from the abdomen).
You can see in the picture above the protrusion if the top of the
stomach called a hiatal hernia. |
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Symptoms of a hiatal hernia as seen in the picture
A hiatal hernia rarely causes symptoms. If you have pain and discomfort it is
usually due to the reflux of gastric acid, air, or bile. Reflux happens more
easily when there is a hiatal hernia but there are several causes of
reflux.
When there are symptoms then these are the most common
- Chest pain
- Heartburn, worse when bending over or lying down
- Swallowing difficulty
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