What causes diaphragmatic hernia?

Diaphragmatic hernia is a diaphragm disease and is also a relatively common disease. If the diaphragm is not completely closed during the development process, a hiatus may be formed. The reasons for its formation are relatively complex, and it may be due to relatively high intra-abdominal pressure. It also has many symptoms. Severe cases often lead to organ necrosis, perforation, shock and other hazards.

What causes diaphragmatic hernia?

The formation of diaphragmatic hernia, in addition to congenital defects and weak points in the fusion part of the diaphragm, is also related to the following factors: 1. The pressure difference in the chest and abdominal cavity and the mobility of the abdominal organs. Various factors that cause increased intra-abdominal pressure can cause abdominal organs to enter the chest through diaphragmatic defects and weak parts. 2. With age, the diaphragm muscle tone decreases and the esophageal ligament relaxes, causing the esophageal hiatus to expand, and the cardia or gastric body can protrude into the posterior mediastinum through the enlarged esophageal hiatus. 3. Diaphragmatic hernia is divided into true hernia and false hernia according to the presence or absence of a hernia sac. Usually, diaphragmatic hernia is divided into traumatic diaphragmatic hernia and non-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia according to whether there is a history of trauma. The latter can be divided into congenital and acquired. The most common non-traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are esophageal hiatal hernia, thoracic and abdominal hiatal hernia, parasternal hernia and diaphragmatic absence.

Clinical manifestations

The clinical symptoms of diaphragmatic hernia vary in severity, which are mainly determined by the capacity of the abdominal organs herniated into the chest, the degree of organ dysfunction and the degree of respiratory and circulatory dysfunction caused by increased intrathoracic pressure. It can be roughly divided into two categories: 1. Functional changes caused by the herniation of abdominal organs into the chest, such as fullness after meals, belching, burning sensation in the upper abdomen or behind the sternum, and acid reflux. This is because after the cardia mechanism disappears, gastric acid refluxes into the esophagus, causing esophageal mucosal inflammation or esophageal ulcers; in severe cases, vomiting blood and difficulty swallowing may occur. Partial gastrointestinal obstruction can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension. In severe cases, complete gastrointestinal obstruction or strangulation obstruction may occur, resulting in vomiting blood, bloody stools, abdominal pain and distension, and even organ necrosis, perforation, and shock.