Diet for esophageal hernia

The role of nutrition in human life is difficult to overestimate. Healthy foods give us strength and energy, and poor-quality food and various nutritional disorders cause the development of many diseases, among which the first rows are pathologies of the digestive system. It is not surprising that the treatment of such diseases involves the correction of the diet and meal schedule, which makes it possible to optimize the work of the gastrointestinal tract. So, a diet for an esophageal hernia is aimed at unloading the stomach and intestines, normalizing the acidity of gastric juice, reducing the intensity of the gas formation process and intra-abdominal pressure, minimizing the frequency of reflux episodes.

Is all this possible with just dietary correction? It all depends on the stage of the disease. At the beginning of the disease, diet is the main method of treatment, and then it acts as an auxiliary one, helping to reduce the dosage of drugs taken and the frequency of their use.

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Indications

Esophageal hernia is a disease of the digestive system in which some organs located in the abdominal region penetrate into the chest through the diaphragmatic opening. This may be the lower end of the esophagus, and with it the stomach, or just the stomach (sometimes with intestinal loops), while the esophagus remains in place. In the first case, we speak of an axial (sliding) hernia, which can change its location depending on the position of the body, in the second - of a paraesophageal (fixed) hernia.

A diet for esophageal hernia is prescribed regardless of the type and characteristics of the hernial sac, its location and existing symptoms, because in any case there is a digestive disorder. While the hernia is small, it does not cause inconvenience to a person, but once the pathological process, characterized by weakening of the diaphragmatic opening, has started, it will progress further, causing malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract. Especially if we are talking about old age (according to statistics, most patients with esophageal hernia have crossed the fifty-year mark) or serious metabolic disorders that have affected the trophism of the diaphragm tissues and ligaments.

With a sliding hernia, the most painful symptom is the reflux of food from the stomach into the esophagus, which is associated with pain and burning in the epigastrium and along the esophageal tube. The displacement and compression of the stomach in the esophageal opening of the diaphragm negatively affects its work, causing inadequate contractions (in the opposite direction) and slow movement of the food bolus along the digestive tract. Stagnation, in turn, provokes a shift in the acid-base balance of the stomach towards acidification and the development of dyspeptic phenomena, such as heartburn, flatulence, bloating.

In paraphasogeal and mixed hernias, congestion is caused by the incorrect positioning of the stomach, which appears to be upside down to a greater or lesser extent. In addition to abdominal and chest pain, patients also experience symptoms of dysphagia (impaired swallowing), congestion in the stomach and intestines. Painful reflux and heartburn occur less frequently in such patients, but the risk of developing various complications in the form of peptic ulcers, esophageal perforation and hemorrhages, strangulated hernia, which is life-threatening for the patient, is significantly higher than with a sliding hernia.

Bloating caused by increased gas formation and difficult, irregular bowel movements becomes a risk factor for increased intra-abdominal pressure, which is consistently higher in patients with any type of esophageal hernia than in healthy people. If nothing is done, the stomach will be pushed further and further into the chest cavity under pressure, the hernial sac will grow and interfere with other organs located in the chest cavity.

How does sliding and paraesophageal hernia affect the heart? The heart is an organ located in the left chest of the vast majority of people. The stomach is located directly below it. The organs are separated by the diaphragmatic plate and in a normal state practically do not interfere with each other. But as soon as the stomach is overloaded, you begin to feel some heaviness under the heart, it becomes more difficult to breathe, and mild symptoms of hypoxia occur. And the reason for this is the pressure of the stomach on the diaphragm, which in turn slightly squeezes and displaces the heart, making it difficult for it to work.

It is not difficult to imagine what will happen if the stomach is steadily elevated or even goes into the chest cavity, where there is no room for it. It will press on the heart, and the larger the size of the hernia, the greater the impact it will have on the human motor. It is not surprising that a common reason for prescribing surgery for an esophageal hernia is heart problems (shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat and pressure).

In this case, we are not talking about the pain behind the breastbone with an esophageal hernia, which is so similar to the symptoms of angina, but about serious disturbances in cardiac activity, which over time can lead to the development of organ failure.

Diet for esophageal hernia is primarily an opportunity to stop the progress of the disease, so it is prescribed even for hernia of the 1st degree, when there are no symptoms of gastrointestinal pathology yet. In the initial stage of the pathology, nutritional correction is the main and often the only method of its treatment.

At 2 and 3 degrees of esophageal hernia, dietary nutrition is prescribed in combination with drug therapy, exercise therapy, and physiotherapy. It helps to treat the disease more effectively, restoring the normal natural process of digestion.

In severe cases of axial hernia and its paraesophageal variety, surgical intervention is often used. In this case, a diet is prescribed both at the stage of preparation for surgery and during the rehabilitation period, which helps the body to quickly recover and optimizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the risk of postoperative complications.

General information esophageal hernia diets

Esophageal hernia is considered a progressive disease, which can only be completely dealt with by surgical intervention, which, however, also does not exclude relapses of the disease. In the treatment of hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, doctors use various methods of treatment: drug and manual therapy, physical impact, exercise therapy, surgical treatment, the use of traditional methods of combating pain and heartburn, which must be combined with a diet.

Thus, a diet for esophageal hernia is a key point that ensures the effectiveness of other therapeutic methods. For patients, dietary nutrition is indicated not only at the stage of relieving acute symptoms. It should become part of a changed lifestyle of the patient, which will help prevent exacerbations of the pathology and live a normal, full life.

In theory, a diet for a hernia of the esophageal orifice of the diaphragm is not something excruciatingly difficult, because it does not imply strict restrictions and a half-starved existence. The principles of a diet for a hernia of the esophagus are based on the requirements of a healthy, balanced diet.

When planning your diet, there are some important points to consider:

• The basis of the diet is fractional nutrition, indicated for any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since it reduces the load on the organs and promotes an easier and faster process of digestion. The frequency of food intake in this case increases to 5-6 times a day (we are talking about the main meals and do not include snacks, which are not prohibited).
• Increasing the number of meals with the same or reduced caloric content and total volume of products implies a reduction in the single portion. The portion size should be such that satiety occurs 15-20 minutes after eating, and not while at the table, which indicates overeating.
• The last meal should take place no later than 3 hours before going to bed.
• After eating, you should never take a horizontal position, especially with a sliding hernia of the esophagus, because this leads to displacement of the digestive organs and disruption of the digestion process.
• The diet should be as gentle as possible on the stomach and intestines, i.e. you need to exclude heavy fried and smoked dishes, limit the consumption of salt, which causes weight gain, remove hot spices and sauces from the diet - products that irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa.
• It is necessary to exclude from the diet all products that increase gas formation in the stomach and intestines and cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure.
• Particular attention should be paid to the drinking regime. Limiting fluid intake slows down metabolic processes in the body and is a risk factor for constipation. Constipation is dangerous both due to the increase in the size of the intestines and due to straining during defecation. Both factors provoke an increase in intra-abdominal pressure.
• When choosing products, you need to focus on their nutritional value and chemical composition. The patient's body must receive sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc., necessary for the normal functioning of various organs. Food should not only bring satiety, but also maximum health benefits.
• Before each main meal, half an hour before eating, it is a good idea to drink a glass of clean water, which will cleanse the stomach of excess acid and mucus and start the digestion process.

Regardless of the type of hernia and associated pathologies, the patient's food must undergo sufficient heat treatment. Raw food in this case is a risk factor for exacerbation of esophageal hernia, because raw vegetables and fruits are harder to digest in the gastrointestinal tract and can cause fermentation processes in it.

Features of the diet for concomitant diseases

Esophageal hernia is a pathology that rarely occurs out of nowhere. Usually, the disease develops against the background of existing disorders in the functioning of the digestive system. Therefore, it is often diagnosed completely by accident during examinations for other gastrointestinal diseases.

Esophageal hernia often accompanies such gastrointestinal diseases as gastritis, gastric ulcer, reflux disease, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, atony and inflammation of the intestinal walls, which are inflammatory in nature and are characterized by stagnation in the digestive system. Frequent symptoms of such pathologies are heartburn, dyspepsia and constipation, which increase pressure in the abdominal cavity and push the stomach and esophagus upward.

In addition, with various disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the absorption of nutrients deteriorates, which causes disruptions in metabolic processes in the body, which negatively affect the condition of various tissues of the body, including the muscles and ligaments of the diaphragm.

A diet for esophageal hernia, developing against the background of other diseases, is at the same time a method of their treatment. But it has its own characteristics. A diet for gastritis and esophageal hernia implies the most gentle diet. The patient is allowed thermally processed food, which is recommended to be thoroughly chopped (grinded or chewed well). Food should in no case irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus, be too sour, salty or spicy, hot or cold.

Meals should be consumed mainly warm, in small portions up to 6 times a day, in the acute period giving preference to liquid and semi-liquid foods.

It is especially important to follow a diet for a hiatal hernia with increased acidity of gastric juice. I associate it with the appearance of heartburn in patients. High acidity of the stomach in combination with reflux disease, i.e. throwing food back into the esophagus, is especially dangerous.

The higher the acidity of gastric juice, the more irritating the effect food will have on the walls of the stomach and esophagus. The latter are even more sensitive to acid, because they do not have a sufficient protective layer and are not designed for such an aggressive effect, so a hernia of the esophagus very quickly becomes complicated by reflux esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus).

The diet for esophageal hernia and esophagitis is even stricter, because it must simultaneously regulate the acidity of the stomach and reduce the frequency of reflux. In case of cicatricial changes and narrowing of the esophagus caused by long-term inflammation of the organ walls and their weakening, preference is given to semi-liquid and liquid, well-chopped food.

With increased acidity of gastric juice, the patient's diet must necessarily include dishes with an enveloping effect, which will protect the walls of the stomach and esophagus from irritation by aggressive substances in food and gastric juice and thereby reduce the severity of the inflammatory process.

It is necessary to exclude both mechanical or chemical and thermal damage to the esophagus during meals. Warm food with low salt, sugar, and acid content is ideal. In case of esophageal and gastrointestinal bleeding, the patient's diet should include products that increase hemoglobin and prevent the development of iron deficiency anemia.

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Benefits

Axial hernia of the esophagus due to regular displacement of the stomach in the diaphragmatic opening is characterized by frequent episodes of reflux, especially at stages 2 and 3 of development. And regular throwing of food with aggressive digestive enzymes from the stomach into the esophagus causes its irritation and chronic inflammation (reflux esophagitis), resulting in the formation of fibrous tissue, shortening and reduction of the lumen of the esophageal tube. Such complications, accompanied by pain, heartburn, belching, hiccups and difficulty swallowing, significantly worsen the quality of life of patients and can cause exhaustion of the body.

Paraphasogeaic hernia of the esophagus, although less prone to the development of reflux, as well as the accompanying painful and rather long attacks of heartburn, congestion in the gastrointestinal tract can provoke such an outcome. In addition, they cause an increase in pressure in the peritoneum, which in this case can cause strangulation of the hernia, accompanied by severe pain and dangerous to a person's life if he does not receive qualified assistance in time.

As we can see, in the absence of effective treatment, both axial and paraesophageal hernias pose a certain danger to the life and health of the patient. And since we are talking about the digestive system, the treatment of which is impossible without dietary nutrition, the benefits of a diet for esophageal hernia become undeniable.

Correction of the diet and eating regimen allows to reduce the load on the digestive organs, to facilitate their work, which will prevent stagnation and improve metabolism. Stabilization of metabolic processes along with the use of products rich in vitamins and minerals will help to improve the nutrition of the diaphragm tissues, which in turn will have a positive effect on the characteristics of muscle and connective tissue (their strength and elasticity, resistance to stretching).

Eliminating foods that cause increased gas formation from your diet will help reduce the likelihood of increased intra-abdominal pressure caused by food intake. Increased intra-abdominal pressure is the main factor that ensures the progression of a hiatal hernia.

The same goals are pursued by dividing the daily diet into small portions with a higher frequency of food intake than usual. And limiting the intake of dishes that stimulate increased production of gastric enzymes and increase the acidity of gastric juice will reduce its irritating effect on the walls of the esophagus during reflux.

If the patient's diet and nutrition regimen are properly coordinated, the frequency of unpleasant symptoms of the disease will be significantly reduced, which means that the number and dosage of medications taken in connection with the disease can be reduced. Normalization of metabolism and regular exercise therapy will help strengthen the diaphragm and stop the development of the disease, which is the goal of treatment procedures.

What can and what can not?

We can talk for a long time about the benefits of proper nutrition for a hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, but for a person who is not initiated into its basics, this will give absolutely nothing. After all, the basis of the patient's diet is permitted products prepared in the appropriate way: boiling, baking, stewing. But which products can be considered permitted, and which should be excluded from your diet?

Allowed in any diet are those products and dishes that can improve the patient's condition or at least do not harm his health. Let's consider what in this regard can be eaten with a sliding hernia of the esophagus, in the treatment of which diet plays a decisive role?

Products that are useful for esophageal hernia are:

• Bananas, which can be eaten raw and preferably before eating other foods, because these fruits are able to protect the inner lining of the stomach and esophagus due to the high content of mucous substances.
• Apples used in food in baked and mashed form (if you have high stomach acidity, you should avoid eating too sour or too sweet varieties, which equally promote the production of hydrochloric acid). It is recommended to peel the apples from the hard skin before eating.
• Soft varieties of pears and peaches.
• Any kind of porridge cooked in water with a small addition of salt (skim milk is allowed), except for those that contain coarse fiber, which can mechanically damage the esophagus and stomach. Preference is given to oatmeal, buckwheat, barley and millet porridge, which must be thoroughly boiled. However, millet is not recommended for gastritis with high acidity, so it is useful for a limited number of patients.
• Vegetable soups, which, when a hernia is exacerbated, are recommended to be rubbed through a sieve, which will facilitate their absorption, prevent injury to inflamed tissues by pieces of vegetables, and facilitate an easier process of digestion.
• Boiled, stewed or baked vegetables, except cabbage, which increases stomach acidity in any form and can cause increased gas formation. Carrots, boiled beets, and potatoes are considered especially useful. It is useful to prepare vegetable puree, which can be lightly seasoned with sour cream or cream.
• Lean meats and fish that can be boiled, baked, stewed, and even grilled, but the tough crust will need to be removed in this case.
• Light meat and vegetable broths are especially useful in the postoperative period and in cases of esophageal stenosis.
• Low-fat dairy and fermented milk products (their use is strictly individual and depends on the acidity of the gastric juice, the body's reaction, and the patient's age). With normal stomach acidity, kefir, sour milk, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, and yogurts without artificial additives will be useful, but with increased acidity, their use will have to be minimized.
• Vegetable oil.
• Boiled eggs (especially whites) and steamed omelette.
• Vegetable oils that can be added to salads and consumed in small amounts in their pure form for more comfortable bowel movements.
• Rice flour-based baked goods, biscuits soaked in water or milk during acute periods of the disease with reflux esophagitis.
• Among drinks, preference should be given to green tea, purified water, sweet freshly prepared juices, which are recommended to be diluted, herbal decoctions and infusions. With increased stomach acidity, it is useful to regularly drink alkaline mineral water without gas. If milk does not cause bloating and diarrhea, it can also be included in the diet.
• Sweets are not prohibited for esophageal hernia, but this only applies to certain types of favorite desserts. Patients are allowed to eat marshmallows, jelly, gelatin-based products, and pastilles.

Now let's talk about what you can't eat with a hiatal hernia. Prohibited foods and dishes include:

• All types of citrus fruits, as well as dishes that include them.
• Fatty meats and fish in any form.
• Fried vegetables and meat products, as well as dishes to which they are added.
• Vegetables include cabbage, radish, red salad and hot peppers, onions and garlic. The latter, when heat-treated, can be added to dishes in minimal quantities to improve the flavor of food. With high stomach acidity, you should also be careful with tomatoes, adding them to dishes in small quantities or refusing to eat them at all. But green and yellow salad peppers are not prohibited, although it is better not to eat them fresh.
• Any hot spices and seasonings, mayonnaise, ketchup, which stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid and themselves can irritate the inflamed walls of the esophagus and stomach.
• Pickles and marinades.
• Mushrooms in any form.
• Fatty milk and fermented milk products, including butter.
• Fresh baked goods made from white flour. Yeast dough is considered especially dangerous, as it provokes fermentation processes in the intestines, as well as sweet baked goods made with margarine or butter, which are difficult to digest in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Any food that is too hard, hot or cold, ice cream that can be eaten in minimal quantities after melting.
• Grapes that cause fermentation processes.
• Legumes (beans, lentils, beans, peas) and corn. Only green beans and a little green peas are allowed. But you should definitely not abuse such products.
• Any kind of smoked meats.
• Chocolate and any dishes with added cocoa.
• Unsoaked crackers.
• Seeds, nuts, bran and any other food that contains coarse fiber.
• The prohibited drinks include sweet and unsweetened soda, kvass, pickles, coffee, cocoa, strong tea, and any type of alcohol.

The diet for esophageal hernia includes an impressive list of both permitted and prohibited products and dishes. But if you look closely, you will notice that it is difficult to call it strict. There are not so many absolute restrictions in food products. Fatty meat can be replaced with lean, butter with vegetable, sour cream with yogurt, etc.

The same applies to cooking methods. You will have to forget about fried meat, fish and vegetable dishes for the duration of treatment, or better yet forever, change your preferences in choosing baked goods in favor of yeast-free types of bread, and give preference to natural sweets in small quantities for dessert.

Some products can be called controversial in this diet. Such a product is, for example, cucumber, which is not recommended for patients with increased acidity of gastric juice due to the assertion that the stomach produces a large amount of hydrochloric acid to digest it. Another theory states that cucumber has an alkalizing ability and, on the contrary, is able to reduce inflammation of the stomach tissue, and its soft fiber cannot harm the inflamed organs.

With a hiatal hernia, cucumber is not on the list of prohibited foods. It can be included in salads or used to make sandwiches, after peeling off the rough skin. Just with acid reflux, you need to be more careful with such dishes, and if possible, do without cucumbers or limit their quantity as much as possible, sensitively reacting to the reactions of your body.

You should not eat freshly baked bread, get carried away with chewing gum, which promotes the introduction of air into the digestive system, drink carbonated and alcoholic beverages, including beer and "low alcohol", eat food in a hurry. The latter is very important in case of reflux disease and inflammation of the esophagus, because poorly chewed pieces of food can injure the inflamed tissues of the organ and cause pain. In addition, they slow down the process of digestion of food, which is undesirable in case of a hernia of the esophagus.

It is recommended to drink drinks between meals for this disease. Drinking with food leads to overstretching of the stomach. During the main meal, it is allowed to drink no more than half a cup of any drink or water, but this should be done after the meal. During snacks, you can drink a glass of liquid. The amount of water and drinks between meals is not limited.

It is not advisable to drink beverages through a straw if you have an esophageal hernia, because in this case, you will again swallow air, which will subsequently result in belching.

Contraindications

A diet for esophageal hernia is not just a way to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease. It is a complete treatment and preventive measure that helps restore the normal position of the digestive organs by normalizing intra-abdominal pressure and prevent hernia recurrence.

A low-calorie diet for a hernia has virtually no contraindications, since it includes products that help maintain a normal balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Fractional nutrition is perceived by the body very well, because in this case the digestive process proceeds easily and without hitches, while rare meals can provoke stagnation and constipation.

Patients can eat almost all vegetables and non-acidic fruits (with rare exceptions), so they do not have to worry about a lack of vitamins and microelements. True, most products are recommended to be heat treated, which destroys some vitamins. But bananas, peaches and soft apples, which can be included in the menu even fresh, help solve the problem.

The risks associated with the diet are mainly limited to the patient's weight loss, after all, the diet is low in calories. But it is mainly the extra kilos that are at risk. Such a diet will not allow you to become exhausted, because the permitted dishes and products contain almost all the components that have high nutritional value and are necessary for the normal existence of the body.

The situation is somewhat different with therapeutic fasting. If a regular low-calorie diet and fractional meals are suitable for almost all patients, then abstaining from food intake even for just one day is not always possible. Even on the first day after surgery, patients with a hernia of the esophagus are prescribed food intake, although we are talking only about liquid products. Those who do not yet see the need for surgery can adhere to therapeutic fasting if concomitant diseases allow it. Otherwise, complications cannot be avoided.

The duration of such fasting, which would certainly help reduce inflammation of the esophagus walls, because the main irritant is food entering the esophagus from the outside or as a result of reflux from the stomach. In the absence of food, the problem is solved by itself. If there are no irritants, tissue regeneration processes are much more active and effective.

But, for example, in acute gastritis, when therapeutic fasting may be prescribed, the patient may refuse food for no more than a day. Further fasting may lead to the inflammation intensifying, and a hungry person will secrete gastric juice at the sight of food and corrode the mucous membrane. This is especially dangerous in gastritis with increased acidity of gastric juice.

Among the possible complications of a diet for esophageal hernia with a relatively low content of fiber, which stimulates the processing of the food bolus in the intestine and its exit, are constipation. But they mainly affect those who neglect the requirements of moderate physical activity. A good prevention of constipation is jogging, which is not prohibited for esophageal hernia. 10-15 minute evening jogs and a sufficient amount of water drunk during the day fully ensure comfortable bowel movements in the morning.

The diet for esophageal hernia involves limiting sugar, but does not involve a complete refusal to consume carbohydrates, which are sources of energy, so patients rarely complain of weakness and fatigue due to a change in diet and eating regimen (except in the first few days). But reducing salt intake will only be beneficial, especially for those who have heart and kidney problems, which are expressed by edema syndrome and increased pressure. It is only necessary to reduce the amount of salt consumed and one can expect stabilization of arterial and renal pressure, a decrease in edema syndrome, and an improvement in the general condition of patients.

A diet for esophageal hernia is considered therapeutic. Fractional nutrition in small portions, low calorie content of dishes and ease of their digestion are considered a plus in this case, because in this way the work of the gastrointestinal tract is facilitated, digestion is normalized, the frequency of reflux decreases and the inflammatory process in the esophagus decreases. In addition, the symptoms that contribute to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and pushing the esophagus and stomach to the other side of the diaphragm go away.

But it is necessary to take into account the fact that low caloric content does not contribute to the energy support of the body. With bed rest, such a diet is ideal. With moderate physical activity, it is quite acceptable, although patients may complain of slight weakness and rapid fatigue. But for people engaged in heavy physical labor, this will be a half-starved existence, leading to fainting. Although, if you think about it, heavy physical labor is contraindicated for people with an esophageal hernia, and those who are worried about their health, first of all, will take care of changing activities.

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Nutrition after hiatal hernia surgery

One of the effective methods of treating esophageal hernia, undertaken in severe cases of pathology or when dangerous complications arise, is considered to be a surgical operation. In most cases, it involves laparoscopic intervention and does not require large incisions in the peritoneum. The case is limited to five small punctures, so the patient's recovery is usually quick and without complications, while he can be discharged from the hospital on the second day.

Despite the low trauma of the operation, some restrictions in nutrition still exist. For example, on the first day after the operation on the esophageal hernia, preference is given to clean water without gas, of which you can drink no more than 300 g.

The following day, the patient's diet can be somewhat diversified by including fruit and berry juices and compotes (not sour, citrus juices are prohibited), weak chicken or beef broths, vegetable broths (we do not use cabbage), weak black, green and herbal teas. Dishes should be liquid without any solid lumps. It is also allowed to eat a little jelly.

The postoperative diet for esophageal hernia differs little from the dietary nutrition after other abdominal surgeries. Easily digestible dishes are considered preferable. On the third day, the patient's diet may already include pureed semi-liquid soups. Later, the diet becomes more varied: cream soups, liquid and viscous porridges, dairy products (yogurts, fermented baked milk, puddings, milk porridges and casseroles). If the body has a negative reaction to milk, it is allowed to replace it with soy products.

Food should be as close to body temperature as possible. After surgery, swelling of the operated organs and tissues at the puncture sites is possible, and hot and cold food will be additional factors of their irritation, delaying the recovery process.

You should not rush with solid food either, because swelling of the esophagus after surgery causes a decrease in the lumen of the organ and associated swallowing disorders (dysphagia). It is advisable to boil porridges well, mash soups, boiled and baked vegetables at first, eat meat only in the form of minced meat, puddings or puree (for example, use meat baby food), chew boiled eggs and omelettes well.

Casseroles (without a hard top crust), puddings and mousses will be a good addition to the usual meat, vegetable and sweet dishes. When preparing sweet desserts, you can use milk, vanilla, fruit and berry fillings, but not coffee, cocoa, chocolate, coconut flakes.

The frequency of meals after surgery is at least 6 times a day. Portions should be small and leave behind a slight feeling of hunger, which passes after 20 minutes. On the second and subsequent days after surgery for an esophageal hernia, you can drink up to 2 liters of water per day, but this should not be done during meals.

It is very important not only what and when the patient eats, but also how he does it. You need to eat slowly, focusing on the digestion process itself and chewing well even small lumps in the food. At the same time, it is very important to watch your posture. The back should be straight during eating so that the digestive organs do not experience any pressure at this time and for at least half an hour after eating.

Yes, after eating you should try to maintain an upright position for 30 minutes or more. Sitting is not prohibited, but it is better to move a little without much physical exertion, bending, lifting weights, etc. The last meal should be no later than 3 hours before going to bed, and it is not recommended to take an upright position for 2 hours after eating.

Both fresh yeast bread and crackers are not considered the best choice after surgery for a hiatal hernia. It is best to eat a small amount of yesterday's bread or other baked goods prepared without yeast. Crackers are prohibited due to their ability to mechanically damage the inflamed walls of the esophagus, but they can be eaten soaked (for example, by adding small pieces of sliced bread toasted in the oven or toaster to soups).

Patients should stick to such a diet for 6-8 months. Then, at their own discretion, they can gradually include familiar dishes and drinks into their diet, including soda, which was previously taboo. But as practice shows, not everyone returns to their previous lifestyle. It is believed that a habit is formed in 21 days, it is clear that in a few months, patients get so used to the new regime and diet that they no longer experience a passion for their previously favorite heavy, fatty, fried dishes.

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Fasting for hiatal hernia

A diet for esophageal hernia is a complete treatment procedure that helps to avoid all the unpleasant symptoms of the disease: heartburn, belching, pain in the chest and abdominal region, dysphagia. At the same time, all the nuances of dietary nutrition should be discussed with the attending physician, who takes into account the type of pathology, the degree of its development, the characteristics of the patient's body and the presence of concomitant diseases.

One of the diet options for this pathology is considered to be therapeutic fasting, which has been used for gastrointestinal diseases for many years and shows good results, allowing the digestive system to rest and recover. But fasting for esophageal hernia does not have such a high value if the disease is not accompanied by gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, it can only be practiced with the permission or on the recommendation of the attending physician, because this method has many contraindications. In particular, it is not recommended for elderly patients and children.

The duration of therapeutic fasting may vary. Thus, in acute diseases of the esophagus, stomach and intestines, food intake is limited to a daily restriction, which allows for more effective suppression of the inflammatory process without causing serious harm to the gastrointestinal tract. After all, gastritis, stomach ulcers, colitis and other pathologies of the digestive system require regular food intake, and prolonged fasting can only do harm, posing a serious burden not only on the gastrointestinal tract, but also on the entire body weakened by the disease.

Unlike a balanced diet, which is recommended for a hiatal hernia on a nearly permanent basis, fasting should not become a lifestyle. Its purpose is to help the body regain its strength, not to exhaust it completely.

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Reviews

Diet for esophageal hernia is one of the methods of treating the disease. It is clear that patients will not be particularly delighted with it, especially in the first days and weeks, while the body gets used to the new regime and diet. But the situation changes as a person understands all the advantages of such changes and new eating habits are developed.

Pain is a good stimulant for action. Usually, a person is ready to do a lot to get rid of it. And a diet is not such a great sacrifice. Moreover, about 50% of patients experience pain syndrome with an esophageal hernia, and as the disease progresses, this percentage increases. Others may complain of discomfort and a feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium, which is also not very pleasant and is an obstacle to enjoying food.

Many patients note that already in the first days of dietary nutrition they begin to feel lightness after eating. True, this is somewhat overshadowed by the constant feeling that the portion is missing a couple of spoons to eat well. But after 15-20 minutes the desired saturation comes and the negativity dissipates.

A big plus of such a diet is the ability to gradually lose a few extra pounds. According to statistics, most people with an esophageal hernia are also overweight. But with any gastrointestinal disease, strict diets for weight loss are not available, so even if it is necessary to reduce body weight (and with an esophageal hernia it is!) in conditions of moderate physical activity, it is extremely difficult to achieve decent results. And a low-calorie diet for an esophageal hernia is great for weight correction.

Of course, the diet has a small downside - the inconvenience associated with eating at work. Not every company has canteens with a dietary table, so often special food has to be carried to work from home. In addition, the food should be warm, but it is not always possible to heat it up. And fractional meals can cause ridicule from colleagues and discontent among managers.

True, these difficulties can be dealt with or put up with if it comes to health. And many elderly patients, who are most often diagnosed with esophageal hernia, are no longer tied to their workplace. Receiving a pension, they can afford to be treated at home, where it is much more convenient to cook and eat.

The attitude of patients to the diet for hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm is in most cases positive, because almost everyone notes relief, but not everyone likes the fact that they have to give up previously favorite dishes, have difficulty eating during working hours, get used to the feeling of hunger after eating, which occurs in the first days of the diet.

Sometimes patients break down, unable to deny themselves a fragrant piece of fried meat or a hot seasoning that so appetizingly changes the taste of Lenten dishes. And then they again encounter the annoying heartburn, belching, heaviness in the stomach. This leads many to the understanding that with their disease, a diet is the main condition for comfortable nutrition and normal well-being. It is difficult to survive the first days of the diet, and then it becomes a part of the patient's life, which allows them to feel normal, avoid relapse of the disease and its progression, and reduces the need for surgery on an esophageal hernia.

The most difficult thing to accept is the need to follow a diet for patients with grade 1 esophageal hernia, who have virtually no unpleasant symptoms. And while nothing hurts, it is difficult for them to accept the idea of the need for pain prevention. By refusing a diet, which is the main method of treatment during this period, a person eventually comes to the conclusion that the hernia continues to grow and cause heartburn, belching, pain in the chest and abdomen, etc. But now, along with the diet, you will have to take a bunch of different medications and attend physical therapy.

Doctors have a positive attitude towards the diet, understanding that without correcting the diet and eating regimen, it is simply impossible to effectively treat diseases of the digestive system. But the attitude of doctors towards therapeutic fasting is ambiguous. Few gastroenterologists practice such methods of treatment, although they do not reject the benefits of fasting for healthy people for the purpose of cleansing and unloading the body.

A diet for esophageal hernia is a way to alleviate the patient's condition and slow down the progression of the disease. It gives the best results in combination with drug treatment and exercise therapy, because it is impossible to restore the lost functions of the muscles and ligaments of the diaphragmatic opening by changing the diet and eating regimen alone. But on the other hand, without a diet, other treatment procedures will give weak results. And the sooner a person understands the need and value of dietary nutrition, the more effective his treatment will be.