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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
A hiatal hernia occurs when weakened muscle tissue allows your stomach to bulge up through your diaphragm. It's not always clear why this happens, but pressure on your stomach may contribute to the formation of hiatal hernia.
How a hiatal hernia forms
Your diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle that separates your chest cavity from your abdomen. Normally, your esophagus passes into your stomach through an opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus. Hiatal hernias occur when the muscle tissue surrounding this opening becomes weak, and the upper part of your stomach bulges up through the diaphragm into your chest cavity.
Possible causes of hiatal hernia
Hiatal hernia could be caused by:
- Injury to the area
- An inherited weakness in the surrounding muscles
- Being born with an unusually large hiatus
- Persistent and intense pressure on the surrounding muscles, such as when coughing, vomiting, or straining during a bowel movement or while lifting heavy objects
- Brady M. Hiatal hernia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/162991320-4/0/2088/0.html. Accessed Sept. 30, 2009.
- Jeyarajah R, et al. Abdominal hernias and gastric volvulus. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/162991320-4/0/1389/0.html. Accessed Sept. 30, 2009.
- Keifer D. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. In: Rakel, D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/162991320-4/0/1494/0.html. Accessed Sept. 30, 2009.
- Kahrilas PJ. Hiatus hernia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 30, 2009.
- The word on GERD. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patient/gerd/word.asp. Accessed Sept. 30, 2009.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. Oct. 6, 2009.
