Hiatal hernias happen more often in women, people who are overweight, and people older than 50. Most people don’t notice symptoms of a hiatal hernia and don’t need treatment.

Hiatal hernias are common, affecting about 20 percent of people in the United States, and they tend to be more common in women. [ 11 ] Significant weight gain, obesity, or pregnancy may increase ...

Obesity is a risk factor for hiatal hernia. So is smoking. Friday morning, Wikipedia’s “Hiatus hernia” entry also listed “Laughing too hard while being Charlie Sheen” as a risk factor ...

The number of hiatal hernias linked to overeating and eating too fast is on the rise. SheKnows.com reached out to general surgeon Dr. David Edelman for more information on this painful condition.

A hiatal hernia occurs when a small portion of the stomach pushes upward through the diaphragm, a sheetlike muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen. Usually this doesn't cause any symptoms, ...

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose.

A hiatal hernia, which affects 50 percent of adults over age 50, won’t often directly cause pain. But it can lead to bothersome symptoms resembling g astroesophageal reflux disease (GERD ) .

At other times, a hiatal hernia produces GERD — gastroesophageal reflux — an upward spurting of acid and digestive juices from the stomach into the esophagus.