Learn about hiatal hernia , its causes, symptoms, types, and effective treatment options. Discover lifestyle changes and medical treatments to manage and relieve hiatal hernia symptoms. Hiatal hernia is caused by obesity, being pregnant, age, or thinning of the phrenoesophageal membrane. Learn the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, medications, dietary changes, and surgery of hiatal hernias . A hiatal hernia is a common anatomical abnormality in which part of the stomach protrudes or herniates through the diaphragm and up into the esophagus or chest. If the stomach gets stuck in the defect in the diaphragm, the hernia may become confined and cause severe pain in the chest and abdomen ... A hiatal hernia is a medical condition characterized by the abnormal protrusion of the upper part of the stomach or other internal organs through the diaphragm's hiatus. The diaphragm is a muscular structure that assists in respiration. The diaphragm has a small opening, a hiatus, through which the esophagus passes before connecting to the stomach. The region where the esophagus joins the stomach is called the "gastroesophageal junction" (GEJ).