Hiatal Hernia overview

#shorts #hiatalhernia #overview #pillshill A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm and into your chest region. The diaphragm is a large muscle that lies between your abdomen and chest. You use this muscle to help you breathe. Normally, your stomach is below the diaphragm, but in people with a hiatal hernia, a portion of the stomach pushes up through the muscle. The opening it moves through is called a hiatus. This condition mostly occurs in people who are over 50 years old. It affects up to 60 percent of people by the time they’re 60 years old, according to the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association. The exact cause of many hiatal hernias isn’t known. In some people, injury or other damage may weaken muscle tissue. This makes it possible for your stomach to push through your diaphragm. Another cause is putting too much pressure (repeatedly) on the muscles around your stomach. This can happen when: coughing vomiting straining during bowel movements lifting heavy objects Some people are also born with an abnormally large hiatus. This makes it easier for the stomach to move through it. Factors that can increase your risk of a hiatal hernia include: obesity aging smoking