Stomach Discomfort? Out of Breath Quickly? Might Be a Hiatal Hernia

Recently I read a book called "Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve" by by Stanley Rosenberg because I wanted to learn more about the Polyvagal Theory and nervous system function.

When I got to the section on chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) I almost didn't read it because I don't have COPD and therefore thought it might not be relevant to me. But I did have some difficulties breathing fully.

What symptoms did I have?

I've never considered myself as all that fit, but recently (maybe even for a few years) it was getting a bit extreme. I noticed that I got out of breath really fast. I mean, walking up a single flight of stairs fast. I'd been struggling to play my favourite position in my favourite sport (netball) because I couldn't catch my breath. I was often bloated after eating, and felt full after just a few bites. And most significantly, it was happening more and more that I couldn't get to sleep because of discomfort in my stomach and osephogus. I often had to prop myself up in order to get to sleep.

When these things happen over a period of time, sometimes you don't realise how bad they really get. It's like the Boiling Frog Experiment - if you put a frog in boiling water he will just jump straight out. But if you put the frog in cold water and slowly heat it, the frog just boils to death. Gruesome, but telling. We often don't notice the things that change gradually. Instead I kept finding excuses (I'm stressed, I'm unfit, I'm not eating right) for what was happening.

Until I read about a hiatal hernia and realised that I had almost all the symptoms Rosenberg was listing. Then I thought - "what if I actually have one of these?".

What is a hiatal hernia?

The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that sits at the base of the ribcage and separates the heart and lungs (above) from the stomach and intestines (below). There is a small hole in the muscle that allows the oesophagus to pass through and reach the stomach.

Ideally, when we breathe, the diaphragm moves freely around the tube of the oesophagus. If, however the oesophagus is tight, it can pull the stomach up against the bottom of the diaphragm. In certain cases, the stomach is actually pulled through the hole in the diaphragm, causing the hole to enlarge. This is a hiatal hernia.

• Hiatal = gap
• Hernia = protrusion through soft tissue

Why would this affect breathing?

The diaphragm is a crucial part of the breathing apparatus. If you have a hiatal hernia, it does not allow the diaphragm to fully contract or release. If the diaphragm cannot function properly, it's going to affect how easy it is to breathe.

How do you deal with it?

In Rosenberg's book, he explains a simple technique you can use to soften the oesophagus. He recommends doing this after what he calls The Basic Exercise, (here's a short video), because he cites dysfunction of the vagus nerve as the reason why the oesophagus might tighten.

The hiatal hernia technique goes like this:

The stomach is on the left side of the abdomen, just under the ribcage. Place the fingertips of one hand lightly on the top of where you imagine you can find the stomach. The stomach is soft but palpable. You should be able to feel the stomach if you slowly and gently extend your fingertips into the abdominal muscles. You only want to feel the top surface of the stomach. Under no circumstances should your move be painful. If [you] experience pain, you should stop immediately. Gently pull it downward toward the feet until you sense the first sign of resistance - usually after pulling it only about one half-inch to one inch. Hold it at that point of slight resistance until the oesophagus relaxes. Although you might be tempted to push the stomach down in order to stretch the oesophagus, it s not necessary to exert any force. If you have your fingers on the top of the stomach, you will descend in the abdomen, making room for the respiratory diaphragm to descend on the inbreath. A sigh or a shallow usually accompanies this moment of relaxation. At this point, it feels as if the muscular resistance to the stomach's being pulled down melts. And immediately [you can] breathe more easily and deeply.

The result:

I decided to give it a try. I laid down on the floor, found my stomach and gently moved it towards my feet. Immediately I felt a stretch all the way up to my throat and literally 2 seconds later it was gone. It had relaxed! It all happened so fast I wasn't even sure if I should believe it.

The following weekend I went to a netball tournament and got the opportunity to play my favourite position for the entire day (we didn't have any subs!). I had no trouble breathing and could sustain the running around much more easily than the previous week. For the first time ever - we won a tournament!

And to this day - I have not once had trouble sleeping because of reflux or stomach discomfort.

So I'm pretty sure I had one after all. And boy am I glad that I read that chapter. Thank you Stanley Rosenberg!