What are sliding hiatal hernias?
Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife has been diagnosed as having what the doctor terms a “sliding hiatal hernia.” It periodically causes her lots of problems. Her doctor has given her a capsule by the name of “Prilosec.” She takes one capsule every morning, with little results if any. Since this hernia is in the esophagus area, they say it is not practical to operate. We have never seen this problem discussed in your column. Would you please comment? — M.S. A “sliding” hiatal hernia is the most common kind. A hiatal hernia is a bulging of the stomach into the chest. The bulge occurs in a gap in the diaphragm muscle, the muscle sheet separating abdomen from chest. Through that gap the esophagus joins the stomach, bringing to it swallowed food. If the gap is too large, the stomach can protrude through it. The sliding variety of hiatal hernia bulges behind the esophagus. If the bulge occurs in front of the esophagus, it is called a “paraesophageal” hernia. Either kind produces similar symptoms due
