Medical Questions » Hernia Questions » Question No. 515
| Question: | My husband has a hiatus hernia after developing peritonitis from gall stones stuck in a duct, and is in constant discomfort, particularly after eating certain foods. His doctor has told him to put up with the pain but I don' t think that' s good enough. What can be done to help him? |
| Answer: | Peritonitis is a severe infection of the belly cavity that can leave scars, adhesions (gut sticks together instead of sliding smoothly) and other damage that may allow a hiatus hernia to develop.
The pain caused by a hiatus hernia can be treated in a number of ways. The first step is to eat small frequent meals so that the stomach is not over-filled. After eating you can take Gaviscon (available without a script) to neutralise any excess acid and prevent it from going up into the oesophagus.
The next step is to use medications that must be prescribed by a doctor ro reduce acid secretion in the stomach (eg. Tazac, Zantac), and increase the rate at which the stomach empties (eg. Motilium, Prepulsid).
If these do not work (which is uncommon), more potent medications (eg. Zoton, Losec) may be prescribed, but these are normally only given after a gastroscopy is performed to confirm the diagnosis and exclude any other problems.
In a gastroscopy, a flexible tube is passed down the throat of the sedated patient so that the doctor can see what is happening in the oesophagus and gullet.
As a last resort, operations are available to relieve a hiatus hernia, but surgeons would be reluctant to perform this procedure on your husband because of his previous operations and peritonitis.
You should discuss these matters further with your general practitioner, as s/he can prescribe all these treatments if necessary.
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