A Natural Approach To Health

Living With a Hiatal Hernia

I had a question the other day about a hiatal hernia.

Any time an internal body part pushes into an area where it doesn’t belong, it’s called a hernia.

The hiatus is an opening in your diaphragm – the muscular wall separating your chest cavity from your abdomen.

Normally, your esophagus goes through your hiatus and attaches to your stomach.

In a hiatal hernia, your stomach bulges up into your chest through that opening.

There are 2 main types of hiatal hernias:  sliding and paraesophageal (next to the esophagus).

In a sliding hiatal hernia, your stomach and the section of your esophagus joining your stomach slide up into your chest through your hiatus.

This is the more common type of hernia.

The paraesophageal hernia is less common, but is more cause for concern.

Your esophagus and stomach stay in their normal locations, but part of your stomach squeezes through your hiatus, landing it next to your esophagus.

Although you can have this type of hernia without any symptoms, the danger is your stomach can have its blood supply shut off.

Many people with a hiatal hernia have no symptoms, but others may have heartburn.

People with heartburn may experience chest pain easily confused with the pain of a heart attack.

That’s why it’s so important to undergo testing and get properly diagnosed.

Most of the time, the cause of a hiatal hernia isn’t known.

Hiatal hernias occur more often in women, people who are overweight, and people older than 50.

To deal with a hiatal hernia it’s beneficial to:

*Drink 6-8 cups of purified water.

*Aloe vera juice helps heal your intestinal tract.

*Catnip, fennel, ginger, marshmallow root, and papaya tea all help with proper digestion.

*Try raw potato juice.  Don’t peel the potato – just wash it and put it in a juicer.  Mix the juice with an equal amount of water.  Drink it immediately after preparation 3 times a day.

*Try drinking a glass of fresh cabbage or celery juice every day.

*Change your eating habits.  Eat more organic raw vegetables.  Eat smaller, more frequent meals.  Chew your food well.  Eat slowly and enjoy your food.

*Sip 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar, mixed with a glass of water, while eating a meal.  Don’t drink any other liquids with meals.

*Eat fresh papaya and/or pineapple to help digestion.  Chew a few of the papaya seeds as well.

*Don’t eat for 3 hours before bedtime.  Wat at least 3 hours after eating before lying down.

*Avoid acidic foods like citrus fruits and juices.

*Don’t consume caffeine-containing products, carbonated beverages, creamy cheeses, desserts, eggnog, fats, fried foods, gravies, rich sauces, marbled meats, onions (especially raw), peppermint, poultry skin, processed foods, spearmint, spicy or highly seasoned foods, sugar, tobacco, or tomatoes.

*Avoid overeating at a meal.

*If you’re overweight, weight loss may help reduce symptoms.

*Maintain an exercise program including walking, biking, or low-impact aerobics.  Avoid running and weight lifting, as these activities put pressure on your stomach.  Don’t exercise after eating, however.

*Elevate the head of your bed.

*As much as possible, avoid stress and anger.

*Don’t wear clothes that fit tightly around your waist.  Don’t wear tight clothing to bed.

*Beware of antacids with aluminum.  Antacids may create a vicious cycle of dependency.

*Take EZ-Gest and Alfalfa at the beginning of each meal to help alleviate symptoms.

*Avoid chewing gum because it unnecessarily stimulates digestive enzymes.

If you’re dealing with heartburn, try these (100% money-back guarantee):

It’s essential to use:  Vita-Lea, Protein, EZ-Gest, Optiflora, Calcium/Magnesium, Alfalfa, B-Complex.

It’s important to use:  DTX, Herb-Lax, Fiber, Stomach Soothing Complex, VitalMag, Vitamin D.

It’s beneficial to use:  Garlic, OmegaGuard, Lecithin, Vivix.

Please comment below, like, retweet, and share with your friends!

email:  lenay@dickandlenay.com

PS:  If you have any questions about a hiatal hernia, and would like to know how supplements can help, give us a call at 715-431-0657.  We’re here to help.