Receiving Helpdesk

hiatal hernia pain under ribs

by Dr. Donavon Rippin Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Bulge under ribcage in upper abdominal region. They are not always painful unless you become gassy and then they are painful. A hiatal hernia is where your stomach pushes up through the hiatus muscle of your rib cage. It's not deadly but it can become very painful over time because it pushes on the lungs and heart.

Sometimes pain is felt in the chest, in the back, the diaphragm and behind the ribs during or after meals and can then feel like cramp. If you have one or more of these symptoms, it may be a sign of a hiatal hernia.

Full Answer

When should I be worried about a hiatal hernia?

When should I be worried about a hiatal hernia?

  • heartburn that gets worse when you lean over or lie down.
  • chest pain or epigastric pain.
  • trouble swallowing.
  • belching.

Why to fix your hiatal hernia?

  • Food allergies
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn
  • Acid Reflux
  • Upper GI discomfort
  • Abnormal bowel movements (normal is brown, large, no pain or strain)
  • Gastric or duodenal ulcers
  • Stomach burns/churns when empty (not hunger pangs)
  • Eating or drinking solves stomach pain
  • Eating or drinking worsens stomach pain

More items...

What are the symptoms of a hiatal hernia?

With a hiatus hernia you may:

  • have a painful burning feeling in your chest, often after eating (heartburn)
  • bring up small amounts of food or bitter-tasting fluids (acid reflux)
  • have bad breath
  • burp and feel bloated
  • feel or be sick
  • have difficulty or pain when swallowing

What does a hiatal hernia feel like?

Hiatal hernia symptoms include nausea, burping, acid reflux, and burning or pain in the esophagus or stomach. These symptoms can mimic other health issues like heartburn or heart attack. Hiatal hernia attacks can differ based on the hernia location in the upper digestive system. See your doctor if you experience these symptoms often.

Can you have a hernia under your rib cage?

An epigastric hernia is a type of hernia in the epigastric region of the abdominal wall. It's above the belly button and just below the sternum of your rib cage. This type of hernia is a somewhat common condition in both adults and children.

Can hiatal hernia cause pain in upper abdomen?

Sliding hiatal hernias can cause GERD symptoms. A very large paraesophageal hernia could potentially cause back pain, but this is not a common symptom. The most common pains related to a paraesophageal hernia are chest and epigastric (upper abdomen) pain, most often during or shortly following eating.

Where do you feel pain if you have a hiatal hernia?

Pain: At times, a hiatal hernia causes chest pain or upper abdominal pain when the stomach becomes trapped above the diaphragm through the narrow esophageal hiatus. Rarely, in a fixed hiatal hernia the blood supply is cut off to the trapped portion of the stomach, which causes extreme pain and serious illness.

Does hiatal hernia pain radiate?

I have been diagnosed with a sliding hiatal hernia and my symptoms are burning pain under my breastbone radiating out to the back below my shoulder blades, sudden intense fatigue, the need to burp constantly, and it feels like my stomach is eating itself sometimes.

How do I know if my hiatal hernia is strangulated?

What are the symptoms of a strangulated hernia?acute pain that comes on suddenly and may get more severe.bloody stools.constipation.darkening or reddening of the skin over the hernia.fatigue.fever.inability to pass gas.inflammation or tenderness around the hernia.More items...

What are the symptoms of an upper abdominal hernia?

Signs and Symptoms of a HerniaAn obvious swelling beneath the skin of the abdomen or the groin. ... A heavy feeling in the abdomen that sometimes comes with constipation or blood in the stool.Discomfort in the abdomen or groin when lifting or bending over.A burning or aching sensation at the bulge.More items...

What is the best painkiller for hiatus hernia?

Best medications for a hiatal herniaBest medications for hiatal herniaTums (calcium carbonate)AntacidOTCPepcid (famotidine)H2 antagonistOTCNexium (esomeprazole)Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)OTCxPrilosec (omeprazole)Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)OTC or Rx3 more rows•Oct 5, 2020

Where is hiatal hernia pain located on a woman?

What are the symptoms? Most people who have a hiatal hernia have no symptoms. One symptom you may have is heartburn, which is an uncomfortable feeling of burning, warmth, or pain behind the breastbone. It is common to have heartburn at night when you are trying to sleep.

How do I know if my hiatal hernia is getting worse?

Symptoms may include dysphagia, chest pain after eating, belching, and vomiting. If this problem progresses, it can cause upper abdominal pain and distention, vomiting leading to nonproductive retching, and gastric bleeding (due to the abnormally increased blood pressure).

When is a hiatal hernia an emergency?

Get medical care immediately. You are being treated for heartburn or hiatal hernia, and you feel sudden chest or stomach pain, have difficulty swallowing, are vomiting, or are unable to have a bowel movement or pass gas; you may have a hernia that has become obstructed or strangulated, which are emergencies.

How do you calm a hiatal hernia flare up?

Lifestyle and home remediesEat several smaller meals throughout the day rather than a few large meals.Avoid foods that trigger heartburn, such as fatty or fried foods, tomato sauce, alcohol, chocolate, mint, garlic, onion, and caffeine.Avoid lying down after a meal or eating late in the day.Maintain a healthy weight.More items...•

When should I worry about hernia pain?

Seek immediate care if a hernia bulge turns red, purple or dark or if you notice any other signs or symptoms of a strangulated hernia. See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in your groin on either side of your pubic bone.

Why does my hiatal hernia feel like a knot?

Might feel like knot: Your hiatal hernia might feel like a knot under your ribs due to pressure. Keep a diary of your symptoms, knot, pressure, acid in your throat and mout ... Read More

Can you feel a hernia?

No: No. A hiatal hernia is an enlarged opening in the diaphragm back near the spine where the esophagus comes through the diaphragm. You can not feel it o ... Read More

What causes a hiatal hernia?

The most common cause of a hiatal hernia is an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity. Your abdominal cavity is the space in the middle of your body that holds several organs, including the: Lower part of the esophagus and stomach. Small intestine, colon and rectum. Liver.

What is a hernia in the stomach?

A hiatal hernia is a condition where the top of your stomach bulges through an opening in your diaphragm. This can happen to people of any age and any gender. A hiatal hernia doesn’t always have symptoms, but when it does they are similar to the symptoms of GERD.

What happens if you have a hernia and your stomach is squeezed so tightly that the blood supply

If the portion of the stomach entering the esophagus is being squeezed so tightly that the blood supply is being cut off , you’ll need to have surgery. Surgery may also be needed in people with a hiatal hernia who have severe, long-lasting (chronic) esophageal reflux whose symptoms are not relieved by medical treatments.

How to repair a hernia?

Surgery for repairing a hiatal hernia involves: Pulling the hiatal hernia back into the abdomen. Improving the valve at the bottom of the esophagus. Closing the hole in the diaphragm muscle. During surgery, your surgeon will wrap the upper part of the stomach (called the fundus) around the lower portion of the esophagus.

What is the best medicine for hernia?

Sometimes, a medication called a proton-pump inhibitor might be used to treat hiatal hernia. This medication is another way to decrease the amount of stomach acid you have, which can help prevent reflux. When you take this medication, your body doesn’t make as much stomach acid as normal.

Can a hiatal hernia cause GERD?

Many people with a hiatal hernia never have symptoms. Some people with hiatal hernia have some of the same symptoms as gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD). GERD occurs when digestive juices move from the stomach back into the esophagus. Symptoms of GERD include:

Can you get a hernia while pregnant?

You may experience a hiatal hernia during pregnancy, if you are obese, or if there’s extra fluid in your abdomen. Increased pressure in the abdomen (arrows) causes part of the stomach to push through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.

1. Burning pain in the chest (heartburn)

The most common symptom of hiatal hernia is acid reflux (GERD). This is because a hiatal hernia causes the acid inside your stomach to reflux back into the esophagus.

2 . Upper-middle abdominal pain and fullness (epigastric pain)

The second most common hiatal hernia pain location is the upper-middle abdomen. This area of your abdomen is called the (epigastric area).

3. GERD-related chest pain (similar to the pain from a heart attack)

Hiatal Hernia with severe GERD can cause a different type of chest pain than classic heartburn. However, the pain is severe, compressing chest pain in front of your chest mimicking the angina pectoris pain (heart attack).

4. Backpain

Hiatal hernia can cause back pain radiating from heartburn. Backpain from a hiatal hernia is typically associated with burning chest pain in the front of your chest.

5. Non-painful hiatal hernia

Most type I Hiatal hernias (sliding) are small in size. Small-sized Hiatal hernias typically have NO SYMPTOMS at all ( reference ).

What is a hiatal hernia?

Hiatal Hernia is a great mimicker of Heart Attacks (MI) and other issues in the abdominal, chest and thoracic spine regions. Essentially there is a weakness in the diaphragm's opening (hiatus) for the oesophagus to go through. Pressure on or in the abdomen pushes the stomach up through the hiatus creating weakening of the Cardiac sphincter which ...

What causes a hernia valve to irritate?

These are the basic causes of digestive problems: poor food combining, overeating, drinking with meals, overeating and eating when upset. Lastly, there are emotional causes.

What happens when your stomach is forced into a sphincter?

Symptoms. Naturally, when part of the stomach is forced into this opening, the sphincter cannot close properly. Thus, stomach acid may travel back up into the esophagus causing burning sensations (heartburn), esophageal spasms, inflammations and ulcers.

What foods can help with hiatal hernias?

Other food or herb products that have been used to help people with hiatal hernias include: raw cabbage juice (where ulcerations have occurred), balm, barley water, brown rice, celery, coriander, gentian, hops, licorice, marshmallow and passion flower.

How to tell if you have a hernia?

Identification. The easiest way to tell if you or someone you know has a hiatal hernia is to place your fingers on the solar Plexus, just below the breastbone. Then take a deep breath.

How to correct a hernia?

Correction. Since a hiatal hernia is primarily a mechanical problem, the easiest and best way to correct it is mechanically. Medical doctors have attempted surgery to correct this disorder, but the results tend to be poor. Cutting into this area can further weaken it so that the hernia will return in short order.

Can lifting cause a hernia?

Improper lifting may be the biggest mechanical cause of this disorder. If the air is not expelled out of a person's lungs while lifting, it will force the stomach into the esophagus. Secondly, there are dietary causes. Hiatal hernia just about always accompanies a swollen ileocecal valve.

What are the symptoms of an epigastric hernia?

If you have any of the following symptoms after surgery, you should seek medical attention: high fever. difficulty urinating. discharge from the surgical site. an increase in pain or swelling at the surgical site.

What are the complications of a hernia?

These complications may include: bleeding. pain. wound infection at the surgical site. scarring left after healing. blood clots. development of a lump that isn’t a hernia. a low chance of the hernia recurring. mesh infection (in the event an artificial mesh is used to repair the hernia)

Why is there no evidence of an epigastric hernia?

Not as much is known about epigastric hernias possibly because they aren’t reported many times due to a lack of symptoms.

How many percent of hernias are epigastric?

About 2 to 3 percent . Trusted Source. of all abdominal hernias are epigastric hernias. It’s also seen in infants. Most of the time, you’ll have no symptoms or only minor symptoms with an epigastric hernia. A lack of symptoms means that this condition tends to go unreported.

What causes a bump in the belly button?

This bump is caused by a mass of fat that has pushed through the hernia. The raised area may be visible all the time or only when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. This bump, or mass, can grow and become larger in some cases.

Where is the hernia located?

An epigastric hernia is a type of hernia in the epigastric region of the abdominal wall. It’s above the belly button and just below the sternum of your rib cage. This type of hernia is a somewhat common condition in both adults and children.

Can an epigastric hernia go away on its own?

This type of hernia won’t go away on its own, and complications will eventually lead you to surgery. Surgery is the only way to repair an epigastric hernia. It’s the recommended treatment, even for infants, due to the risk of the hernia enlarging and causing additional complications and pain.

Hiatal Hernia causing pain in upper left chest and heart area?

i was diagnosed with small HH back in april of 2021 and to be honest i don’t really know the symptoms of the HH… but i get these pains in my upper left chest and even in my heart area… also my left arm starts to hurt and i don’t know of this is my hiatal hernia or not.

Hey i need help. I was just diagonaef with a 2.5 cm hital hernia. My life is over. I burp 10 hours a day. Burps get stuck in my chest. Ive lost 20 lbs this month

Hey i need help. I was just diagonaef with a 2.5 cm hital hernia. My life is over. I burp 10 hours a day. Burps get stuck in my chest. Ive lost 20 lbs this month. 175-158 from not eating. I was vomiting. Having a reallt hard time breathin. Medication and diet is not working its been 6 months.

how do I deal with a hiatal hernia??

Hi, everyone! Today, after months of searching for answers to constant nausea, heartburn and chest pain, I was finally told that I have a hiatal hernia. It’s very tiny, so surgery isn’t really a viable option.

heart rate climbs easily?

I was diagnosed with a small hiatal hernia.

HH and palpitations

Hi, I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia early in 2021 and since then I've had constant Daily heart palpitations. I can constantly feel my heart beating in my chest and sometimes in my neck and head. I've had multiple ECG tests, blood tests and even a CT on my heart and blood vessels and everything has come back mostly clear.

Hiatal hernia and exercise

I 21M have a small hiatal hernia. I started getting symptoms about 6 months ago mostly throat related where it would really hurt to eat, swallow, breathe, and felt like my throat was closing.

What is slipping rib syndrome?

This slippage or movement can lead to an irritation of the intercostal nerve, strain of the intercostal muscles, sprain of the lower costal cartilage, or general inflammation in the affected area. The medical literature primarily refers to this condition as slipping rib syndrome.

Where is the pain when you press your abdomen?

It's not painful if you press this area underneath the ribcage.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9