Telephone: (617) 983-6712. Fax: (617) 983-6770. www.mass.gov/dph/fpp. The Massachusetts Food Protection Program, within Bureau of Environmental Health in the Department of Public Health, strives to ensure a safe and wholesome food supply in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper part of the stomach bulges through an opening in the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle wall that separates the stomach from the chest. The diaphragm helps keep acid from coming up into the esophagus. When you have a hiatal hernia, it's easier for the acid to come up. The leaking of acid from the stomach into the esophagus is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
A hiatal hernia occurs when a section of the stomach moves above the diaphragm into the chest cavity through the hiatus. The hiatus is the small opening in the diaphragm where the esophagus travels to the stomach.The diaphragm is the layer of muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavities.ips. 1  If your hiatal hernia is unresponsive to other measures, surgery to decrease the opening of the hiatus, repair the esophagus or remove the hernia sac may be necessary. 2  Surgery is often not required; however, some emergency situations and nonresponsive hernias benefit from the invasive treatment.