Hiatal Hernia

Healthcare providers find hiatal hernias by looking at images of your esophagus and stomach. Sometimes, they find it accidentally while looking for something else. If they’re looking for it, it’s usually because you have symptoms of acid reflux. They might begin with an esophageal pH test to confirm there’s acid in your esophagus. If there is, they’ll follow up with imaging tests to find out why.

Tests that can diagnose a hiatal hernia include:

Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray or radiograph uses radiation to take still, black-and-white images of the inside of your chest cavity, where your esophagus lies.
Esophagram. An esophagram is a sort of video X-ray of your esophagus in action. It takes real-time video of the inside of your esophagus when you swallow.
Upper endoscopy. An upper endoscopy goes inside your esophagus and stomach with a tiny camera on the end of a long tube. It projects live images onto a screen.
Esophageal manometry. This test uses a catheter inside your esophagus to take pressure measurements of the muscles. It converts the data into a topographical pressure map.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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