Disease or Syndrome
hiatus hernia
hi·a·tus her·ni·a
Subclass of:
Diaphragmatic Hernia
Definitions related to hiatal hernia:
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A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper part of your stomach bulges through an opening in your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is the thin muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen. Your diaphragm helps keep acid from coming up into your esophagus. When you have a hiatal hernia, it's easier for the acid to come up. This leaking of acid from your stomach into your esophagus is called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD may cause symptoms such as Heartburn; Problems swallowing; A dry cough; Bad breath; Nausea and/or vomiting; Breathing problems; The wearing away of your teeth. Often, the cause of a hiatal hernia is unknown. It may have to do with weakness in the surrounding muscles. Sometimes the cause is an injury or a birth defect. Your risk of getting a hiatal hernia goes up as you age; they are common in people over age 50. You are also at higher risk if you have obesity or smoke. People usually find out that they have a hiatal hernia when they are getting tests for GERD, heartburn, chest pain, or abdominal pain. The tests may be a chest x-ray, an x-ray with a barium swallow, or an upper endoscopy. You don't need treatment if your hiatal hernia does not cause any symptoms or problems.MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Herniation of the upper part of the stomach through the diaphragm.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(hiatus hernia) The presence of a hernia in which the upper part of the stomach, i.e., mainly the gastric cardia protrudes through the diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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When part of the stomach pushes upward into the chest through an abnormal opening in the diaphragm.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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(hernia, hiatal) STOMACH herniation located at or near the diaphragmatic opening for the ESOPHAGUS, the esophageal hiatus.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Hiatus hernia is a protrusion of the stomach through the diaphragmatic hiatus. Most hernias are asymptomatic, but an increased incidence of acid reflux may lead to symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Diagnosis is by barium swallow. Treatment is directed at symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease if present.Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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A hiatal hernia occurs when a portion of the stomach prolapses through the diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus. Although the existence of hiatal hernia has been described in earlier medical literature, it has come under scrutiny only in the last century or so because of its association with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its...WebMD, 2019
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A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach bulges through the large muscle separating your abdomen and chest (diaphragm).Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Hiatal hernia is the protrusion of intra-abdominal contents through an enlarged esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm. A hiatal hernia most commonly contains a variable portion of the stomach; less commonly, it may contain transverse colon, omentum, small bowel, or spleen, or some combination of these organs. The herniated contents are...Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
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