Hernia gap or hiatal hernia as it is also known is when the top of the stomach moves from the abdomen and is housed in the thoracic region. An important fact is that this condition affects approximately 20% of the world population, although knowing for sure how many people suffer from it is extremely difficult since many of them do not present symptoms, however in those people who do present them, The frequent symptoms are heartburn, a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen, difficulty swallowing, recurrent bad breath or a dry cough, such symptoms cause the affected person to eat every time since this action would imply a lot of pain. It should be noted that there are several types, the most common being the sliding hernia, which usually occurs in 95% of cases.
The problem itself occurs when a portion of the stomach moves through the hiatus into the thoracic cavity, facilitating gastroesophageal reflux. At the moment that this happens, the esophagus, which is not as protected as the stomach to be able to withstand the effects of the acids of digestion, becomes irritated and that is when the symptoms mentioned above begin.
For its part, the diaphragm can be weak for various reasons, pathologies or circumstances.
- Old age: As the body ages, the diaphragmatic muscle loses its strength, which allows the stomach to protrude more easily.
- Chronic cough: Thanks to the constant effort needed to cough to the thoracic cavity, as the diaphragmatic muscle is closely related to the lungs, reason why it can influence this pathology.
- Constipation: in general, those individuals prone to constipation usually make permanent effort when they need to defecate, and this pressure that is exerted on the abdominal cavity can have repercussions in the sliding of the upper stomach area.
- Increased abdominal volume, may present pressure on the abdominal organs, such as the stomach, forcing the passage through the hiatus.
