Can Hiatal Hernia Go Away on Its Own?

Can Hiatal Hernia Go Away on its Own?

Hiatal hernia may place individuals at an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Sometimes, the stomach can become stuck in the hiatal opening. If this happens, can this condition go away on its own? Dr. Vikki answers that question.

Transcript of the video

One of our areas of expertise is Hiatal Hernia Syndrome. A very good question I receive is “I think I have this problem. Will it go away on its own?” Well, the answer is “Yes, it can go away on its own… if it’s very mild”.

This is not the person who has had acid reflux for weeks, months, or years. This is not the person that’s been having shortness of breath or panic attacks. This is not the person with chronic constipation. This is somebody who… maybe it was Thanksgiving and you over-ate and then you slumped over in a chair or lay down on the couch… and you have this overextended stomach and it pushed up and then you just feel really miserable.

You feel like your food didn’t digest, and you might feel some pressure right where your stomach is under your rib cage. But it’s just that feeling of “Oh, I’m stuffed, the food’s not going anywhere, what do I do? Maybe I’ll take a walk” — which is really smart actually, because gravity will help: the movement and gravity pulling down in the walk will help get that stomach to relax and pull back down — exactly what you want. So in that sort of situation, [the hiatal hernia problem] can definitely be temporary.

And if you’re smart, you walk it off and it starts digesting. Then that might be the end of it, which is great. I’ve definitely seen people who say “If I eat very quickly, then I notice this problem, but if I slow down, I don’t”.

Again, that’s transitory: the stomach spasmed, it pushed up on the diaphragm and gave you that [hiatal hernia] signal: “I don’t like what you’re doing. You’re making it difficult for me to digest”. And you know, you don’t do that and you’re fine.

You lifted something very heavy and it was too much for you, and your core strength was not adequate: that pushed the diaphragm up or the stomach up; then you set the heavy thing down and you relaxed. Again, transitory.

Another thing, women who are pregnant and there’s only so much room in that abdomen, and as that uterus gets bigger and that baby gets bigger, everything gets kind of squished. I’ve seen this go both ways.

I’ve had women say “Wow, I was really miserable when I was pregnant”. I remember actually with my first —he was the biggest of all— having acid reflux and thinking to myself, “I’d already been a doctor for several years saying: Oh, this is what acid reflux feels like because I had never experienced it”, and then had the baby and that was the end of the hiatal hernia.

And I’ve also seen women who experienced it during pregnancy and then had the baby, and it was never the same. So they really had engaged in a more chronic [hiatal hernia] condition that had to be reset and rebalanced. So the answer [to the original question] is: “Yes, if it’s very mild and it was from an event“.

But if you’ve had the symptoms for a while, then we’re gonna have to dig in there and really get to the reason why it’s manifesting for you.

That doesn’t mean drugs or surgery necessarily at all. We have a natural program, but you need to get to that root cause and normalize it.

I hope that answered the question well, and if you feel that you have been suffering for a while and you’ve done the “wait-and-see” and it’s not really resolving, then consider reaching out to us for a phone consultation. We can get a good history from you, and figure out the best way to help with your Hiatal Hernia Syndrome.

This is our area of expertise and we have a very high success rate. We’d certainly be delighted to help because the hiatal hernia symptoms can be pretty miserable and it’s not something you have to put up with. It’s putting a lot of strain on your nervous system, your digestive system, several hormonal systems. So Hiatal Hernia Syndrome definitely permeates through the body in a number of different ways, and that’s not something you should have to put up with.

Why choose Root Cause Medical Clinic?

The medical team at Root Cause Medical Clinic in Clearwater is a multidisciplinary team composed of medical doctors, nutritionists, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. We practice root cause medicine, which goes to the origins of your physical problem rather than masking it with pills and symptom-based treatments. We also believe that your physician must work in close cooperation with you, getting your feedback and giving you the information you really need to consent and participate in your treatment. We have observed that some lifestyle changes, when recommended in the framework of a customized personal health program, help relieve the stressors that prevent your body to heal naturally.

Root Cause Medical Clinic has its office close to downtown Clearwater, FL, at the corner of S Ft Harrison and Magnolia. We have ample parking space, so you don’t have to go around to find a parking spot. If it is not practical for you to come to our office for a consultation and treatment, we also offer telehealth medicine services. We have been offering telemedicine for years in California. We are now offering telehealth consultations and treatment in several other states, including Florida. Please call our office to get the details.

Additional resources:

Dr. Vikki’s new book on Hiatal Hernia Syndrome
Dr. Vikki’s health video on Hiatal Hernia Syndrome
Dr. Vikki’s health video on what a hiatal hernia attack feels like
Types of hiatal hernia and some advice
A scholarly paper on giant hiatal hernia