A hiatal hernia is a medical problem in which part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm into the chest and stays there. This can cause pain and bleeding and make GERD much worse. The hiatal hernia then weakens the mechanism that is meant to prevent acid reflux from the esophagus. Some studies hav demonstrated that the hiatal hernia itself causes a retention of stomach acid and thus promotes GERD.
Because hiatal hernia is a major problem for many people with GERD, an entire section is devoted to the subject in this blog.