Do you think I have a hiatal hernia?

[SaruhFactor]

I'm not burping up food but sometimes have such a dry mouth from my medication it makes me gag. Likely unrelated, but I'm wondering if I have a hiatal hernia. I'm overweight and had a baby 5 years ago. Since then I occasionally get this gas where I have to force it out with a gag or like it gets trapped in my throat. I'm a medical student but don't know enough to understand just enough to have medical schoolitis... if part of my stomach is through the diaphragm causing increased pressure in my esophagus and stomach, would that cause this weird gas trapping? Sometimes I have to create negative pressure in my throat to release it, and I know we have no conscious control of our cardiac sphincter but sometimes it feels like it comes from way deeper and makes me feel the need to gag or even throw up. I never do, and do have a STRONG gag reflex but I wonder if the gag is related to the cardiac sphincter and if I have a hiatal hernia. What do you think?

[SassyLassie]

Hello~I, too, have a hiatal hernia. I noticed you said that you said your chiropractor found that you had one. Mine can find mine as well. Mine will have me take a deep breath and at the same time, he pulls down on it, it helps a great deal.

Other symptoms of a hiatal hernia:
•Heartburn
•Regurgitation of food or liquids into the mouth
•Backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus (acid reflux)
•Difficulty swallowing
•Chest or abdominal pain (sometimes the pain mimics that of a heart attack.
•Shortness of breath
•Vomiting of blood or passing of black stools, which may indicate gastrointestinal bleeding

Mine also causes irregular heart beats as the top of the hiatal hernia sometimes hits the cardiac reflex, thus causing the skips.

One suggestion that my chiropractor gave me was to drink very warm water, and as you are swallowing it, jump up and down briskly, sometimes this will help to bring it back down through the opening it has made in the diaphragm.

[SaruhFactor]

Oh interesting. OK. I'll try the hot water jumping. Maybe she had fixed it but I've been sitting and gained back 10lbs so maybe it's slide back up. I do have irregular heartbeats occasionally. Hmm. But no burping up food. still. I think it may be the case. Wish I knew how to feel it.

[SassyLassie]

Even after the chiro has brought it back down, it can still slide up again, I would ask to be treated in that area each time you go for an adjustment.

[Red_Star]

My mother has this symptom from low stomach acid.  And while she does have a hiatus hernia, the gas symptom is clearly due to her forgetting or not taking enough digestive enzymes and betaine HCL with pepsin.


Excerpt from Gallbladder Attack's article Chronic Heartburn...

Signs of Deficient Stomach Acid

Gas, bloating and burping shortly after a meal could be lack of HCl
Constipation
Diarrhea
Feeling of fullness or food not digesting
Heartburn and/or gastric reflux (sometimes too much HCl but most often not enough)
Bad breath
Foul smelling stools
Loose stools in the early morning
Food allergies
Dialated blood vessels on the cheeks and nose - Rosacea
Pernicious anemia or iron deficiency
Anal Itching
Nausea especially after taking vitamins and minerals
Weak or cracked nails
Parasites - or at least increased susceptibility to parasitic infections
Chronic yeast infections
Acne in adults - especially if you have other symptoms from the list
Asthma

Since low levels of stomach acid results in poor absorption of nutrients, many symptoms that accompany a deficiency of that vitamin or mineral makes this list much longer. The nutrients most affected are calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin K and many B vitamins. See pernicious anemia.

If you're nervous about trying supplemental hydrochloric acid, you can do a trial with 1-2 TBSP of organic apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water after a meal. If it makes you feel better and does not hurt, you most likely would benefit from taking 500 - 1000 mg. of Betaine HCl with your meals. Or you can also take a dropperful of Herbal Digestive Bitters (aka Gallbladder Bitters) with your meals which stimulates digestive juices including both HCl and bile. To curb sugar cravings, take bitters after your meal as well."

[SaruhFactor]

I don't think it's GERD. I don't burp up food, or I would agree. Enzymes can help, but even when I haven't eaten in hours I have the same symptoms. Plus I'm eating 90% vegan, 100% vegetarian with few raw/hard to digest foods. It does increase with stress (aka exams)
Likely also have mild mild IBS, and gall stones (female, fat, 40, fertile, fair) but I don't think it's an HCl issue.

I have no: constipation, yeast, parasites, diarrhea, anemia, Vit B absorption problems/ other vit deficiencies judging by nails, skin, etc, (except maybe but D) vit K/bleeding/clotting problems, bad breath, foul odors on elimination, acne, rosacea, food allergies. (I do have casein sensitivity but don't eat dairy, and had asthma as a kid and teen but haven't wheezed unless I had bronchitis-5x or so in 15 years.)

I have taken HCl before from my chiropractor, who also palpated a hiatal hernia on me years ago... but I don't know how she could have felt that with her hands. Maybe.