Question: I have chest pains every day. I have been to several heart specialists and they said everything looks normal, so I went to a gastroenterologist and he found I have a hiatal hernia, which he says is too small to be worried about. But the pain is bad. Is there something I can do?
Dr. Hibberd’s answer:
A hiatal hernia is a condition in which part of the stomach slides up into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm. If you have GERD from a sliding hiatal hernia, treatment is available.
While your pain is non-cardiac, remember that you have been told the hiatal hernia is small, suggesting to you another cause of your chest pain may be present.
Perhaps your pain is caused by rib, back, or disc disease? Or perhaps you have nerve irritation from trauma, a virus, or even from a prolapsed disc in your lower neck.
Chest discomfort can also come from the lung, as well as from supporting tissues between the lung and your chest wall itself.
See your family physician for further help in investigating and treating your discomfort, and ask for a referral if no cause can be found.
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