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How to Fix a Hiatal Hernia Yourself

Your diaphragm is a narrow, dome-shaped muscle that separates your chest cavity from your belly and serves as your main breathing muscle.

Your esophagus, the tube that transports food from your mouth to your stomach, connects with your stomach through a gap in your diaphragm known as a hiatus in medical jargon. You have a hiatal hernia if the top portion of your stomach protrudes through this gap.

Read on to find out how to cure a hiatal hernia at home, how to avoid getting one, and when to consult a doctor.

How to Treat a Hiatal Hernia at Home

A 2019 research review found that addressing stomach acid output is one of the first measures in the treatment of symptomatic hiatal hernia. Some recommendations are:

  • Losing weight (if needed)
  • Reducing the amount of food portions
  • Consuming a number of little meals throughout the day (as opposed to a few large meals)
  • Increasing your bed’s head by 8 inches
  • Avoiding meals two to three hours before going to bed or sleeping.
  • Restricting or avoiding “trigger” foods and beverages, such as fried, fatty, acidic (citrus, tomato, vinegar), spicy, and caffeine-containing (coffee, chocolate) meals and beverages, as well as alcoholic and carbonated beverages
  • Stopping smoking
  • Ingesting over-the-counter (OTC) drugs such antacids like Gaviscon (aluminum with magnesium hydroxide) or H-blockers (such as Pepcid AC or famotidine) [1]
  • Staying away from restrictive apparel that can put more pressure on your abdomen, such as a tight belt, control top hosiery, and body shapers