you can have shortness of breath -depending on how large your hiatal hernia is and if you have acid reflux- go to the gastro doctor and check it out-if it is not a gastro problem- go to see a cardiologist and a pulmonary doctor- the shortness of breath may be related to heart and/or lung problems
I have a small hernia and shortness of breath too
I certainly am not a doctor but I certainly do have a hiatal hernia and even tho it is small it quite frequently presents issues with me feeling as if I am not breathing correctly and yes it is even worse when I attempt to exercise, walk up stairs, etc... It also is not directly correlated to when I eat but for some strange and bizarre reason can simply rear it's ugly head from no where and all of a sudden I feel as if I am not breathing properly. So I am a firm believer that it very much can make you feel as tho you are short of breath and/or unable to get a good, deep breath.
There's no direct correlation between a hiatal hernia and shortness of breath, except if you're refluxing acid high enough to aspirate particles into the lungs. That can cause the problem. You need to talk to your doc about getting tested for acid reflux.