How to Fix a hiatal hernia yourself

Hiatal hernia is protrusion of the stomach through the opening of your diaphragm. The risk of hiatal hernia is increased with age. If hernia is very small and there is no sign of any severe symptoms then it is usually treated with some medication, exercise, lifestyle changes and by adopting healthy eating habits. Surgery is required in very rare cases, if the hernia symptoms are severe and it is not recoverable with any medication.

Now, you can recover from hernia on your own without going through surgery. In this article, you will be able to learn everything about treatment of hiatal hernia with the help of healthy lifestyle and other precautions.

What is hiatal hernia?

A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper part of your stomach protrudes through an opening in your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin muscle that works as a separator between the chest and abdomen. The diaphragm helps keep acid from coming up into your gut from stomach. If a person suffers from hiatal hernia, the chances for the acid to come up in the esophagus are increased. The return of acid from your stomach into your esophagus is known as GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease).

Treatment of hiatal hernia

Following medications are used to treat hiatal hernia without surgery.

Hernia kit by Grocare

This is an ayurvedic way to treat hiatal hernia in a more natural way. Unlike some allopathic medicines, ayurvedic medicine aims to treat the root cause of the problem and not just its symptoms. Ayurveda is more than 3000 years old traditional healing system. Many people use ayurvedic medicine as a complementary and alternative treatment to treat their hernias.

Hernia kit by Grocare is a complete hernia treatment kit which contains following three medications:

Hernica

The active ingredients are:

• Pongamia glabra: this plant has a chemical substance known as karanjin and some other essential oils in it. All of these constituents have strong anti-inflammatory and healing effects. This plant also provides a great relief from hernia pain and also helps to repair the damaged layer by working as a rejuvenating agent.
• Cassia angustifula: This plant contains 2 main glycosides called sennosides A and B. These glycosides work as laxatives and purgatives. They treat the digestion problems such as gas, constipation, bloating and keep the gut free of food irritants to avoid food allergies and other complications.
• Holarrhena antidysenterica: It is a potent antispasmodic agent and used to relax the smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. This plant is also used as a digestive aid to treat problems such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating and colic. All these mentioned problems worsen the hernia symptoms therefore; it is given to patients to avoid these complications.
• Ferula asfoetida: This plant has strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used as a treatment for chronic patients suffering from Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. It helps to decrease the inflammation plus pain in gastrointestinal tract and stomach in patients of hiatal hernia. It also works as an antispasmodic agent and emmenagogue.

Some other active ingredients are also present in this formula to enhance the anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effect of it.

Xembran

The active ingredients in this medicine are following:

• Shankha bhasma: It is a great anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, antispasmodic agent and used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBS). It also reduces the pain related to hiatal hernia in patients and gives a soothing effect.
• Myristika fragrans: It is a great anti-inflammatory, pain relieving (analgesic) remedy if you are suffering from a stomach ache and hiatal hernia pain. The chemical constituents in are myristicin, elemcin and safrole. These all are potent analgesics and contain anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, relieve stomach pain and stimulate internal organ health. It is used as a carminative to aid digestion problems in chronic patients.
• Zingibar officinale: It is a natural anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agent. Therefore, is used to treat several digestion problems such as stomach infections and pain. Zingibar officinale also possess a miraculous natural healing effect. This is the reason that it is used as a remedy to treat internal injuries and internal bleedings from centuries.

Some other constituents are also present in this medicine in small concentrations.

Acidim

The main active ingredients in this are the following:

• Ipomea terpathum: This plant tends to have laxative and cathartic properties. Therefore, used as a digestive aid in people who suffer from irritable bowel disease (IBD) and different hernias.
• Eugenia cryophyllata: This is also known as clove and used as a condiment often especially in Asian countries. It possesses some essential oils such as eugenol, caryophyllene, kaempferol, tannins, flavonoids and vitamin A and C. These all are very effective antioxidants plus analgesics and used prevent and treat digestive health issues. These essential oils may also help to rejuvenate the tissue to repair the hernia if its size is small.
• Cyprus rotundus: This plant also has antioxidant properties which give a protective effect to the abdominal lining to repair hernia and other stomach issues.
• Emblica ribes: This is also known as false black pepper and has potent anti-bacterial, anti-flatulence and antiprotozoal activities. Therefore, it is included in this formula to treat digestive ailments such as gas, bloating, inflammation which may worsen the hernia symptoms.

Other Medication

The main types of allopathic medicines which are used to treat hiatal hernia are:

Acid neutralizers

These are over the counter medications under different brand names such as Maalox (aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide), Tums, and Pepto-Bismol. These all may subdue symptoms but only for a short period, you have to take the medicine regularly or the symptoms will reoccur. Another product which is named as Gaviscon, it neutralizes stomach acid and forms a barrier to block acid coming back into the esophagus. Some find that these drugs also called antacids provide quick, temporary, or partial relief but they do not prevent heartburn for a long term. Consult your physician if you are using these over the counter antacids for more than three weeks.

Histamine 2 Receptor Antagonists (H2RAs)

These work by blocking the effect of histamine, which functions by stimulating certain cells in the stomach to produce acid. These drugs include cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine and nizatidine. H2RAs are all prescription only medicine and available in pharmacies. Some are accessible in a lower dose over the counter formulation.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

PPIs work by blocking the enzymes which are necessary for acid secretion in the stomach. These medicines work their best when taken with an empty stomach, 20 minutes to one hour before the 1st meal of the day. PPIs include omeprazole, pantoprazole sodium, esomeprazole and pantoprazole magnesium. Delayed release PPI capsules are also available in market in the form of dexlansoprazole. PPIs have been acknowledged as the most effective therapy for treating symptoms and improving the quality of life by preventing damage to the esophagus. In some states, PPIs are available only if prescribed by a doctor.

Treatments that reduce reflux by enhancing pressure on LES are metoclopramide and domperidone maleate. These medicines help to regulate digestive motility and improve acid reflux symptoms.

All of the medications discussed above have their distinct treatment regimens, which you have to follow closely to get optimum effect. Usually, a combination of these medicines is prescribed by physician to efficiently control the symptoms of acid reflux.

Some other medications or supplements may also stimulate acid production. Be sure to ask your pharmacist or doctor if any products you are currently taking could be affecting your symptoms.

Hiatal hernia Exercise

Exercise for a patient of hiatal hernia could be beneficial for losing some weight if he/she is overweight. But the key is to not put pressure or strain on that area of your body where the hernia is located. It means that high weight lifting exercises are not recommended. You must consult your doctor and a proper physiotherapist if you plan to start working out.

Exercises and stretches to treat symptoms of a hiatal hernia

If you want to know about “natural” ways to treat a hiatal hernia, some experts suggest diet along with specific exercises that improve your symptoms by strengthening the abdominal area.

It is debatable whether strengthening exercises can actually cure a hernia, or if they just diminish the symptoms. In any case, consider consulting your doctor about the following exercises.

Exercises to strengthen the diaphragm

Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique which involves deeper breathing for a few minutes several times a day. It helps to increase the efficiency of oxygen flow. With the passage of time, these exercises can even be helpful to strengthen the chest muscles. Here is one way:

• Lie down or sit in a relaxed position, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest.
• Inhale as deeply as you can until you can feel your stomach press against your hand.
• Hold for a few seconds, then breathe out and feel your stomach moving back away from your hand. Repeat this exercise several times each day.

Yoga exercises for hiatal hernia

Gentle yoga exercises can improve symptoms of hiatal hernia in a few ways. Just like the deep breathing technique can strengthen the diaphragm muscles. You will also experience more strength and flexibility overall. Some poses, such as chair pose, are considered to help strengthen the abdominal area without causing any strain in it.

Be sure to get guidance from your yoga instructor about your condition so he can help modify the poses as per your convenience. You’ll have to totally avoid inversion poses that may worsen your condition. Such poses include Bridge and Forward Fold.

Exercises for weight loss

Losing weight may improve your symptoms of a hiatal hernia. Exercise, along with diet, can help create the calorie deficit needed to burn body fat. As you lose weight, you should start seeing your symptoms decrease over time.

Here are some of the appropriate and safe considered exercises for a hiatal hernia patient to do in a routine.

• Walking
• Jogging
• Cycling
• Yoga (without inversion)
• Squats (on a moderate rate)

Sometimes with heavy exercises, the symptoms related to hernia such as acid reflux or GERD become worse. Therefore, walking and jogging (on low pace) are preferred over high speed running.

Some other exercises to avoid for such patients are following:

• Squats with weights (dumbbells and kettlebells)
• Crunches
• Pushups
• Sit ups
• Inversion yoga poses
• Deadlifts
• High weight lifting with arms

Lifestyle changes

Hiatal hernias usually do not cause any significant problems in most people. Therefore, rarely need any treatment. However, many patients of hiatal hernia suffer with GERD symptoms and their treatment starts with management of these symptoms by different methods. Such as lifestyle modifications and diet control.

The first target of treatment is to prevent the refluxing of acid into the esophagus. Doctors recommend lifestyle changes for those with hiatus hernia and suggest these following things:

• Eliminating or limiting foods that cause stomach upset. As with symptoms, such foods causing allergies among individuals.
• Eating small portions and more frequent meals to lessen the degree of stomach distension, to decrease the upward pressure.
• Squatting instead of bending
• Maintain an average weight
• Lose some weight if you are overweight
• Elevating the pillow of the bed by about six inches while sleeping, all serve to reduce pressure on the diaphragm
• Smoking cessation is also important for reducing symptoms of hiatal hernia, as studies point to relaxation of the LES due to smoking
• Patients should avoid lying down or sleeping right after eating and refrain from eating or munching within 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.

The second object of treatment is to reduce stomach acid so that the situation is less irritating if acid reflux does happen.

• This is achieved by avoiding long periods without food in the stomach
• Avoid high protein foods and those drugs that stimulate acid secretion, such as aspirin and alcohol. If you something like that accidently then take appropriate medication right in time to save yourself from discomfort and pain.

If however, there is no advantage of trying to manage hernia with only dietary and lifestyle change then the second choice is to put the patient on some sort of medication. So, his medical condition could stop at a stable point to avoid further damage to his health.