cpap vs. hiatal hernia

[IL_lady]

think on this....... do you think using cpap night after night has long term effects on hiatal hernias and gerd?? does it actually stretch the throat muscles causing the esophagus to malfunction??? such as :excess belching or gas, ecess stomach acid coming up the throat easier due to the streching? swallowing difficulties after long term use? waht do you think ............speculating with my nurses mind is sometimes not good to do......................................

[ozij]

Think the effects struggling to breathe while obstructed. Thik of the negative pressure created in your chest cavitiy. Think of how your diaphragm is pushed more and more against your stomach - squeezing it down, pushing it contetns upwards.

For many people cpap makes GERD better too.

O.

[Snoredog]

an HH has been known to cause frequent heartburn, getting it checked out by a GI specialist is the thing to do.

CPAP can contribute to aerophagia, but it is not the direct cause of all those symptoms you mention, HH and GERD can be present without CPAP.

[Flippagate]

My personal experience is that since beginning xpap treatment in Sept 07, my reflux disease, which I have suffered from for years, seems to have stopped entirely. No more burning throat, and no more pain from the HH. May be coincidental, may be temporary, but that has been my experience so far.

[Grannyfritz]

I think this is a topic that bears far more dicussion than has gone on up to this point, The information on the Internet keeps telling us that we are simply swallowing air and that's why we have gas. Horsepucky! The explanation I have heard is that the flap between our esophagus and stomach is weakened by the hiatal hernia (or actually is the hernia) and because the gas can go quickly and easily into our stomachs it does. My doctor gave me the "out of the book" list - sleep with your head elevated (some sites say sleep with it flat on the mattress), take GasEx or something similar (that works in the morning when you are doubled over in pain).

The GERD is probably less frequent because the air is forcing the reflex back into the stomach.

So if you do hear anything more from credible sources, post it. The mask doesn't seem to make a difference - I've tried the nasal pillows (worst of all), the nose-only mask with a chin strap and a full-face mask. The gas just continues. I am trying to lose weight and get to the point where I hope they can reduce the pressure with the hope that will reduce the gas.

Good luck!