Can Hiatal Hernia Cause Dizziness? Reasons Symptoms and Treatment Options

By - Dr Ahmed Zayed

When you are a victim of a hiatal hernia, you might face some internal issues. You need to understand first what to do when you encounter such complications. Like, many of its acute symptoms may lead to chronic ailments.

So, the main question is, can Hiatal Hernia cause dizziness?

Hiatal Hernia carries many complications, and it also causes dizziness. It is a range of sensations, such as feeling faint, woozy, weak, or unsteady. You might feel lightheadedness or feel faint, feeling of floating or swimming, and others.

Many factors contribute to its production, but, it is not difficult to recover. Yet, some conditions may lead to complications. Let’s have a brief view of Hiatal Hernia along with it’s association with dizziness.

Hiatal Hernia and Dizziness – Basics You Need to Know

Hiatal Hernia is a digestive disorder in which one or more stomach parts protrude into the abdomen through the diaphragm. Because the opening is known as a hiatus, this ailment is also known as a hiatus hernia. If it is treated appropriately, there would be no cause for concern.

What Causes A Hiatal Hernia To Flare Up:

This condition may be caused by pregnancy, long-term use of corticosteroids, or as a side effect of cancer treatment. 

Keep in mind that Hiatal Hernia causes dizziness. So, the causes are assumed to be the same for both.

So, how can Hiatal Hernia cause dizziness? Let’s look into some conditions: 

Diaphragmatic Irritation:

Hiatal hernia dizziness can be caused by diaphragmatic irritation.. The esophagus can cause diaphragmatic irritation when it slips through the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen.

Weak Diaphragm:

A hiatal hernia is caused by weak diaphragm muscles. It mainly changes in your diaphragm as you age. It can also be triggered by strain on the diaphragm from prolonged coughing and heavy lifting and exercise. Also, lifestyle factors like smoking can weaken the diaphragm muscles.

Persistent Pressure:

Chronic coughing causes persistent and robust strain on the surrounding muscles. Lifting large items. Vomiting occurs repeatedly. Constraint during a bowel movement.

Trauma or Injury:

Due to pressure on the diaphragm, like with a fall or traffic accident, a hiatal hernia occurs due to the opening in the muscle being expanded. Surgical procedures that involve the food pipe also have a higher risk of complications.

Pregnancy:

The expanding fetus pushes the abdominal organs, causing them to protrude through the diaphragm. Pregnancy puts pressure on your abdomen due to your increased body weight.

Obesity:

Obesity and hernias are inextricably linked. When a person carries excess weight, the muscles that are normally incapable of managing this weight might contribute to the expansion of a hernia. Being chubby or overweight raises the likelihood of having a hiatal hernia.

Post Meal Dizziness:

You might also encounter Hiatal hernia dizziness after eating. 

After a meal, the blood sugar level rises. People who feel dizzy before eating generally feel better afterward due to the rise in blood sugar. When blood sugar levels drop after a meal, resulting in dizziness. 

Acidic foods may weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easier for stomach acids to back up into your esophagus. 

Some of the foods are:

Hence, what to eat? You should eat less-acidic foods which are less likely to aggravate your hiatal hernia symptoms:

Hiatal Hernia And Vagus Nerve Symptoms:

The principal nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system are the vagus nerves. A serious injury to this part of the body requires a meticulous surgical technique that mobilizes the appropriate structures and accurately identifies critical anatomy and vagus nerve hiatal hernia anxiety.

Symptoms of the ailments are:

When To See a Doctor?

It is not so difficult to cure Hiatal Hernia but will cause complications if you are left unchecked. Do consult with your doctor when you notice: Here are some hiatal hernia weird symptoms.

These could be gestures of a strangulated hernia, obstruction, or medical emergencies.

Remedies of Hiatal Hernia Dizziness:

If you suspect a Hiatal Hernia and dizziness, you should check your symptoms under the guidance of an experienced doctor. Your physician will ask about your problem and perform several tests on you to find out the reason behind these symptoms.

You might be suggested with the following remedies:  

Change Lifestyle and Home Remedies:

Treatment:

Surgery may be necessary if sliding hernias bleed, become strangulated, or inflamed. Some joint surgery in this case is:

It involves pulling your stomach down into your abdomen, making the opening in your diaphragm more minor, or reconstructing an esophageal sphincter.

A surgeon creates a sphincter (tightening muscle) at the bottom of the esophagus. This is done to prevent acid reflux. So, you will feel pressure at the end of your esophagus, preventing acids and food from passing up the esophagus.

A laparoscope is inserted via these incisions and delivers images to a monitor, allowing your doctor to see inside your body.

These “minimally invasive” techniques include more minor cuts, lower infection risk, less discomfort and scarring, and faster recovery times than traditional surgeries. This process is known as laparoscopy.

FAQs

Can a hiatal hernia cause you to pass out?

Many risk factors for Hiatal Hernia exist, such as heart compression by a giant hiatal hernia. Ultimately, which causes dynamic circulation abnormalities and syncope. Hiatal hernias seldom become caught in the chest or strangulated, which means the Hernia begins to block blood flow to the entrapped intestine. However, life-threatening situations are relatively uncommon.

Can stress cause hiatal hernia flare-up?

Stress and anxiety are one of the causes of the gastrointestinal system. This increases stomach acid, which in turn can cause acid reflux. This acid reflux leads to Hiatal Hernia.

Can a Hernia cause lightheadedness?

Yes, it will result in lightheadedness. Your body may feel heavy, queasy, and unstable, and you may sweat. Lightheadedness is exacerbated by Hiatal Hernia, which produces dizziness, or the sensation that your heart is racing.

What can irritate the vagus nerve?

Chronic illnesses such as alcoholism and diabetes have long been known to harm nerves, including the vagus nerve. But why this happens is unknown. Insulin-dependent diabetic patients may develop neuropathy in a variety of nerves.

Can Acid Reflux Cause Dizziness?

Regular acid reflux is called gastroesophageal reflux disease. It might cause the upper half of your stomach to protrude through the diaphragm into your chest cavity. Which may eventually result in dizziness due to a hiatal hernia. 

How To Diagnose Hiatal Hernia?

A doctor uses Endoscopy to diagnose it. This includes inserting a thin, flexible tube with a camera down in the patient’s throat to check the upper digestive tract. 

It can also be identified by taking x-rays of your abdomen and examining how the esophagus links to the stomach or by employing ultrasound examinations that can create images of internal structures without radiation.

Can a Inguinal Hernia Cause Dizziness

Yes, you may feel weak, dizzy, or faint. If hernia gets bigger or is purple or blue you can see blood in your bowel movements.

Can A Hiatal Hernia Cause Shortness Of Breath When Walking

Yes, Sometimes with large hiatus hernias, there is so much of the stomach protruding into the chest that it presses on your lungs and can make breathing more difficult.

Can Hiatal Hernia Cause Shortness Of Breath When Bending Over

As the hiatal hernia enlarges, regurgitation may be more prominent, especially at night or when bending over.

Final Words

So, you were curious about whether can hiatal hernia cause dizziness?. You observe the dizziness after heaving the Hiatal Hernia. Feeling faint or passing out, lightheadedness, spinning, whirling, motion, etc., are common signs of dizziness.

It is not very dangerous if it is treated in time. It remains unchecked; it might create many complications. When you find these, do concern with your doctor.